


Whatever is done for love always occurs beyond good and evil

by sasha272



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Resident Evil (Movieverse)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Fixing Plot Holes, They all know each other, mix of games and movies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:54:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 72,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24061693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sasha272/pseuds/sasha272
Summary: Now that Claire was done with college and working full time, all she wanted was to obtain Sherry’s guardianship. In her fight, she found an unexpected ally, and together, they were going to try and overcome the obstacles, both professional and personal.
Relationships: Alice/Claire Redfield
Comments: 90
Kudos: 108





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Mix of the games, animated, and movies (because the movies are my guilty pleasure…). No global pandemic like in the movies but local outbreaks like in the games. We barely know anything about the characters’ personal lives so I’ll do with my headcanon and fix some things while still keeping elements of the main timeline. For me RE6 doesn’t really exist, it was such a mess…
> 
> Alice’s story is a bit altered so it can fit the timeline (the mansion she was guarding is where everything started for Chris and the others in the game.) but her backstory is based on DeCandido's novelizations (not a clone). 
> 
> Claire’s personality is closer to the one in the game. She’s still young, a bit reckless and not jaded by years of apocalypse like she is in the movies (but not the ‘angry, bitter, “guns are more reliable than people”, and suddenly bad with kids’ Claire from RE Revelation 2. There’s growth, there’s damaged by life and there’s complete personality transplant like in Rev2). 
> 
> The story starts around 2001. Claire works for TerraSave (I don’t know when it was created since the government covered up the RC incident and the majority of the world didn’t believe BOW existed - despite Alyssa Ashcroft’s article – until the Terragrigia incident in 2004 but let’s say 2001 like the FBC. RE Rev2 and Heavenly Island Manga made it clear that the NGO becomes more important as the years go by and Claire goes on the field to investigate possible BOW, calling the BSAA when a threat is confirmed). Jill and Chris have their own private anti-BOW agency at first until 2003 and the creation of the BSAA. Leon works for the Government. Since we don’t really know where they all settled after RC, my HC is that they all moved close to each other. For the rest, just go with the flow.
> 
> It’s not really a fic full of action scenes, it’s more about what’s lacking in the game, character’s development and fleshed-out backstories.
> 
> Apparently Capcom has decided to push aside all the main characters to bring new ones (that I don’t care about) without even taking the time to give us closure on a lot of things (some characters just disappeared, lots of questions unanswered, and the Revelation series ended on a cliffhanger.) and it’s annoying. I love this bunch of misfits and I don’t think the problem comes from them being too experimented, you just need good ideas. I mean, they’re 40, not in a nursing home, you can continue the Revelation series with them. With all the rumors about RE8 and new enemies like werewolves, demons, and voodoo creatures instead of zombies, I’m pretty sure I’m gonna stick with the remakes because I want to play Resident Evil, no Devil Within or Silent Hill.
> 
> I know the fandom is kinda dead but the remakes inspired me and I miss them. With that being said, enjoy and review, I'd love to hear your feedback!

Claire Redfield was done with college and ready to start a new chapter of her life as an employee of the NGO TerraSave. It hadn’t been easy, after what happened in Raccoon City and all the mess that followed but she managed.

The 22 years old made her way to the government facility where Sherry was undergoing some tests. Now that she had a job and a stable income, she was trying to obtain Sherry’s guardianship but Derek C. Simmons seemed dead-set on preventing it from happening. She had never liked the man. She could tell he was hiding something but the threat of losing her visitation rights had forced her to back off, at least until now. Claire reached the reception and smiled. “Hello, Miranda!”

“Oh, hello, sweetheart, how are you?” The clerk, a short woman in her 50’s, greeted her warmly.

“Swamped with work but I’m fine,” Claire replied kindly, leaning her elbows on the counter. After visiting every week for the past couple of years, the women had developed a friendly relationship, always chatting while she waited for the green light to join Sherry in the lab.

Miranda waved her hand. “Ah, don’t tell me, it’s the same here.”

“Is Sherry ready yet? Can I go in?” The young woman asked.

The clerk typed on her laptop, checking for access, then frowned. “It’s weird, it says ‘No civilian allowed’.”

“Yeah, but I’m not any civilian, I’m Sherry’s friend.” Claire straightened up and stared at the woman, a bad feeling slowly crawling into her stomach.

“I’m sure there is an explanation, darling.” Miranda grabbed her phone and dialed a number. “Give me a moment.” She smiled reassuringly. “Hello, ma’am, I’m sorry to bother you. Miss Redfield is here to see Miss Birkin but…” She stopped talking. “Yes… Yes, ma’am, I understand. Thank you.” She hung up the phone and turned to Claire with an apologetic face. “I’m sorry, you can’t see Sherry today.”

Claire frowned. “Why not?”

Miranda shook her head. “I don’t know, but…”

“I want to see Simmons,” Claire interrupted. “Now!” She knew it wasn’t Miranda’s fault so she was trying to stay calm. She hoped the woman understood her reaction. “Please.”

“I… Mr. Simmons is busy at the moment. Huh, maybe you could visit Sherry at his house later today…” Miranda tried, aware that Claire was upset.

Claire shook her head. “It’s not enough, Sherry needs me right now! I won’t leave until I know why I’m not allowed to see her.”

“Is there a problem here?” Someone asked suddenly.

Claire turned around to face a tall blonde woman. She was older than her, probably around Chris’s age. If they were anywhere else, she would take the time to admire the woman’s beauty, but right now, she was too angry to care. “Yes, there is. I’m Claire Redfield and…”

“I know who you are.” The woman stated.

“Then you know why I’m here.” Claire raised an eyebrow.

“Yes and I think you’ve been told you can’t see Miss Birkin today.” The blonde said.

“Why?” Claire crossed her arms. “Says who?”

“Mr. Simmons’ order.” The woman simply replied.

Claire glared at her. “And who are you, his watchdog?”

The woman smirked, amused, before turning her ID badge over so Claire could see. “I prefer the term Chief of Security but I guess it works too.”

Claire glanced at the woman’s ID. ‘Alice Abernathy – Head of Security’. “Are you kidding me?” She growled, annoyed by the stupid smirk on the woman’s face. “Why can’t he come down and tell me himself?”

Alice shrugged. “Mr. Simmons is busy at the moment.”

“I don’t care,” Claire snapped. “I’m worried about Sherry and…”

“Miss Redfield,” Alice interrupted. “I’m sure you know Mr. Simmons is her legal guardian and…”

“As he likes to remind me every freaking time, yes.” It was Claire’s turn to interrupt the woman.

“Miss Birkin is fine,” Alice assured. “Mr. Simmons said you can still visit her at his place but not here anymore.”

Claire stood her ground. “Why?”

“I am not allowed to give you that piece of information.” The woman’s face was unreadable.

“Bullshit!” Claire barked.

“But I’m allowed to carry you outside if you keep being hostile.” Alice stepped closer.

“Oh yeah?” Claire moved closer to the woman to show that she was done playing nice with Simmons and his goons. “I’d like to see you try.”

“Ladies, please.” Miranda stood up from her spot behind the counter. “Ma’am, Miss Redfield isn’t looking for trouble, she is just worried.” She turned to Claire. “Just go home, sweetheart, please. You can still see Sherry at Mr. Simmons’ residence.”

Claire stared at Alice for a moment before sighing. “Fine, but this is not over.” She pointed her finger at the blonde.

Alice smirked. “I look forward to seeing you again, Miss Redfield.”

“Go to hell,” Claire said as she made her way toward the exit.

“I know the doorman!” Alice smirked.

* * *

Claire was fuming when she came home. She tried to call Leon but he didn’t answer. She left a message urging him to contact her as soon as possible. She needed a plan, a way to free Sherry from Simmons’ clutch, even if it meant hiding from the government. Maybe Chris could help her. She dialed his number.

_“Redfield.”_

“Chris, it’s me.”

_“Hey, sis, how are you?”_

Claire smiled, it felt good to hear her brother’s voice. “I tried to see Sherry today, but Simmons revoked my visitation right, at least during her tests but who knows how long he’s going to let me see her at all.”

_Chris sighed. “Yeah, I had a feeling it would happen, eventually.”_

“She’s counting on me, I can’t let her down...” Claire sighed. “I knew Simmons couldn’t be trusted!”

_“Claire, you should tread lightly, he’s part of the government and…”_

“I know, I know, but I made a promise. I tried to contact Leon but he’s not answering and I don’t know what else to do.”

_Chris groaned. “You’re going to go after him even if I tell you not to, aren’t you?”_

Claire chuckled. “Yes.”

_Chris stayed silent for a while. “Fine, I’ll help any way I can but please be careful, you’re messing with dangerous people, I don’t want you to get hurt.”_

“I will. I’ll call you later. Kiss Jill for me.”

_“Will do, bye.”_

Just when she hung up, Claire received a text from Leon. **‘Line B Terminal, 1800.’** She shook her head. “Cryptic much!” She looked at the clock, she had an hour to get there.

* * *

Claire was at the station, scanning the place to find her friend who seemed nowhere to be found.

“Hello!” Someone said in a hushed voice behind her.

Claire turned around, ready to push whoever crept up behind her but she stopped when she realized it was Leon. “Jesus, you scared me!”

“Sorry.” Leon smiled. “You should be more aware of your surroundings.”

“Well not everyone is a ninja trained by the government in a secret compound!” Claire playfully punched him in the shoulder.

“I’m hardly a ninja.” Leon looked around. “Come on, follow me.” He led her to a bench in the corner. “So, you said it was urgent?”

Claire sat down. “You could have called, you know.”

“We’re never too careful these days.” Leon joined her on the bench.

“I guess you’re right…” Claire sighed. “It’s about Sherry.”

“Is she alright?” Leon frowned in concern.

“Yes, well, as far as I know, but…” Claire touched her ponytail, trying to formulate what to say next. “Simmons refuses to let me see her, unless it’s at his place and I’m pretty sure it won’t last. They’re doing something to her but I can’t prove it. Do you know anything?”

Leon looked around the station, making sure no one was watching them. “A week ago, they changed the staff and now Sherry’s case is only supervised by Simmons and a doctor. Beyond that, I don’t know much else.”

“I knew we couldn’t trust him.” Claire groaned. “We have to do something.”

“There is not much we can do, I’m afraid.” Leon finally turned toward his friend. “Simmons works for the government and…”

“Well, you too!” Claire interrupted him.

Leon scowled. “Not by choice.”

“That’s what you keep saying but…”

“You weren’t there.” Leon cut her off, a bit harsher than he intended.

Claire blinked in shock. “Excuse me?”

“As soon as we reached civilization again, you left me and Sherry to go find your brother.” The agent reminded her.

“That’s not fair,” Claire argued. “You know he was the only thing I had left. My brother practically raised me…”

“I don’t judge you for your choices,” Leon said in a kinder voice. “But don’t judge me for mine. The government found us, not the other way around and I did what I had to in order to protect Sherry.”

“And now it’s my turn!” Claire declared.

Leon shook his head. “3 years too late!”

“Leon…” Claire ran a hand through her hair and exhaled. She wasn’t going to lie, his comment hurt. She had felt guilty about what happened and still did to this day but back then, she didn’t think the government would find them. She thought Sherry would be safe with Leon until she got back. She squared her shoulders and answered the accusation. “I found her in Raccoon City, alone and afraid. I risked my life to protect her and as soon as I was back from Europe, I visited her all the time.” They weren’t the only people she had left behind. Her roommate, best friend, and casual girlfriend at the time, had broken up with her as soon as she went back to college because she didn’t bother calling her at least once. She didn’t blame her. She knew now, after a couple of years of therapy, that running away was her way to cope with everything that happened but things were different now, she was ready. “I was 19, I wouldn’t have been able to take care of her the way she deserves, but I can now.”

“I’m sorry, I know but…” Leon sighed. “Why am I here? What do you need from me?”

“I want to help her,” Claire stated. “I want to obtain her full guardianship and take her away from Simmons.”

“Jesus, Claire.” The agent stared at her. “Simmons is highly respected in high places, no one will agree to that, especially not him. Sherry is his precious little thing…”

“Exactly, that’s why we have to save her.” Claire interrupted him. “We just need to find the right people to help us.”

“Listen,” Leon sighed again. “I don’t know what happened between you two but so far, he’s been treating her correctly. I really don’t think Sherry is in imminent danger.”

“Until when?” Claire crossed her arms. “What happens once he’s done with her?”

Leon scratched his neck. “I don’t know, Claire. The government will never choose you over Simmons and if you try anything against him, he might come after you.”

Claire nodded. “I’m aware of the consequences, and I’ll face whatever comes my way but I need to at least try…”

The agent stared at her for a moment, pondering his options. “I’ll see what I can do, but I make no promises.”

“Thank you, Leon.”

* * *

A few days later, after several unanswered calls and texts to Simmons, Claire decided to pay the man a visit at his house. Once she was there, she only found closed doors and there was no sign of the girl. Infuriated by Simmons’s behavior, she went back to the government facility, hoping to have some answers.

Without hesitation, Claire charged into the building. She was barely inside when someone called her.

“Miss Redfield, back so soon?”

Claire cursed under a breath. She had hoped she could talk to Miranda but of course, she had to be stopped by the Head of Security. She turned around to face the woman. “I would say it’s a pleasure to see you but I was taught not to lie.”

Alice smirked. “Is that a way to greet a lady?”

Claire ignored the comment. “I guess you know why I’m here.”

The blonde nodded. “And I’m afraid you’re wasting both of our times because my answer is still the same.”

“I tried to visit Sherry at Simmons’ house but no one was there. I called to set up a visit but the man on the other side of your leash is clearly ghosting me.”

“Then try another time because you can’t come here anymore,” Alice informed her, moving in front of Claire to block the way.

Claire crossed her arms defensively. “Are you like that with everyone, or is it just me?”

Alice sighed. “Listen, it’s nothing personal, I’m just doing my job.”

“Just…” Claire groaned. It was clear that she wouldn’t get anything out of their exchange. “Tell Simmons to call me. Is it part of your job requirement or is it too much to ask?”

“I think it can be managed.” Alice chuckled.

Claire gave her a fake smile. “So nice of you.”

“I’m doing my best.” Alice put a hand on Claire’s shoulder to usher her toward the exit.

Claire swiftly pushed the hand away. “Don’t touch me, I know the way.” Once outside, she sighed. She really needed a new plan.

* * *

Claire’s work kept her busy for the next couple of days but she was growing restless over the situation. Since she didn’t get any news from Leon either, she decided to break into Simmons’ house.

Dressed in dark brown, she made her way along the wall in the dark night toward the back door of the residence. Sherry should be alone and Claire was hoping the alarm wouldn’t be on. She felt a bit like Nancy Drew, her childhood hero.

Thanks to Jill’s lessons on how to pick a lock, she was able to get inside without too much trouble. She stayed put in the doorway for a few seconds, waiting for the alarm to go off but when nothing happened, she moved forward into the house. She rushed to Sherry’s bedroom but the girl wasn’t there, in fact, the house was empty. “He must have sent her somewhere else…” She said to herself. Since she didn’t want to go home empty-handed, she kept looking around, trying to find any information she could. She found a laptop and started skimming through documents, taking pictures, and sending them to her work phone just in case. It was weird that someone as paranoid as Simmons would leave unprotected files, even in his house, unless… She was interrupted by the sound of police sirens. “Of course, it’s a trap, you fucker…” She moved to the window and peeked past the curtain. She saw a police car parked in front of the propriety. She cursed, Simmons probably had a silent alarm. She slammed the laptop shut and ran to the back door, hoping for a discreet exit but as soon as she opened it, she was greeted by an officer.

“Freeze!” The office shouted.

“Oh, fuck me…” Claire sighed, raising her hands in surrender.

The officer quickly handcuffed her and brought her to the station. During her interrogation, Claire denied everything. She told the police that the door was open and she was only there to visit Sherry like she was used to do. After a quick phone call to Chris, she was led to a cell where she waited to be bailed out.

Luckily, Simmons didn’t press charges - probably because he didn’t want the police to look too much into his business - but she was forbidden to go anywhere near his house or his place of work. Claire was pretty sure Simmons had expected her to come and she fell into his trap like a moth to a flame. She wouldn’t underestimate him again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the late update. I had a busy week and every time I sat down to proofread, something came up and I had to stop. There are probably still mistakes, English isn’t my mother tongue. Let me know what you think!

Claire knew she couldn’t risk her job so she decided to lay low for a while after that. Chris had not so kindly told her to behave and as much as it pained her to stay in the dark regarding Sherry’s wellbeing, she had to oblige. Her brother said he would help and she trusted him.

She was driving home after work when her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and smiled. She put her earphones on and answered.

_“Hey, kiddo!”_

“Jill!” Claire’s smile grew wider, it felt good to hear a friendly voice. “How are you?”

_“Same old same old, how are you?”_

“I’ve seen better days but compared to my near-death experience in Raccoon City years ago, I would say I’m okay.” Even though they had learned to laugh about it, Claire tried not to bring up the topic too much. However, with her fight for Sherry’s guardianship, the past seemed to be on her mind a lot lately.

_“Tell me about it.” Jill snorted. “Although, I don’t think I’ve had a normal day ever since…”_

Claire chuckled. “Sometimes I envy people who are clueless about the whole thing.” She paused. “Where do you think you would be now if it hadn’t happened?”

_“I don’t know… Probably still with the STARS, going home to my dog…”_

“I miss that goofball…” Claire sighed. She had dog-sitted Jill’s labrador a few times and it was sad to know that he was part of the casualties.

_“Me too.” Jill cleared her throat. “So, Chris told me about your rebellious act.”_

Claire snorted. “Rebellious act? What am I, 13?”

_Jill laughed. “Well, look what you do when you’re left unsupervised.”_

“I was trying to help Sherry, not sneak out to a party.” Claire defended herself. “Why does everyone think I’m going to get in trouble? I mean, I’m a grown-up, I’m responsible.”

_“Yeah a grown-up who got arrested, doesn’t sound like trouble at all…” Jill turned serious. “Chris said you want to help the girl, are you sure about that? You are fighting against powerful people… I know it’s not my place but raising a kid is a lot of responsibilities and you’re still young. Chris had to…”_

“I know what Chris did for me and I do value your opinion, you’re family, you know that, but I made a promise, I can’t…” Claire stopped, feeling her emotions rising.

_“Alright. Well, you can’t keep doing what you’re doing. I understand you want to punch the bad guy in the face but it will only result in him hiding Sherry from you forever.”_

“I know…”

_“You need to go after him legally,” Jill advised. “Even if it doesn’t work out, it can hit his reputation. That’s what counts the most for people like him.”_

“I tried that already, my inquiry was dismissed.” The traffic slowed down in front of Claire’s car and she sighed in frustration. She wished she had taken her bike. She bought her SUV soon after joining TerraSave, knowing she would have to travel for work but she couldn’t wait for the weather to clear to ride her Harley again. She had to work at a café while in college to buy a new motorcycle since her insurance refused to cover everything after she lost hers in Raccoon city so it was a shame not to use it.

_“I know a guy, an old friend of mine from the military. Well a friend, we flirted for half a minute but he’s a nice guy and we can trust him.” Jill informed her._

“What did Chris say about that?” Claire asked amused.

_Jill chuckled. “You know him, he raised his eyebrows a bit.”_

Claire rolled her eyes even though Jill couldn’t see her. “You two need to figure things out, you’ve been playing this game for far too long.”

_“I don’t know. With the lives we live, I’m not sure it’s the best idea. Besides, what’s the point if we could die tomorrow?”_

“Don’t you dare, I need both of you in my life.” Claire shuddered at the thought.

_“We’ll do our best, babe.” Jill’s voice was warm. “So anyway this guy, Richard, he’s a lawyer, a real shark and very discreet. He can take a look at your case and tell you what you can do.”_

Claire pursed her lips then sighed. “And if it doesn’t work?”

_“Then we’ll try something else but…”_

“It won’t be easy, I know,” Claire said like a parrot. The past couple of weeks, everyone she was close to had told her the same thing. They weren’t wrong but it would be nice to hear something positive for once. Not a lie, never a lie, but maybe something more hopeful.

_“I have to go but I’ll call you back as soon as I get a hold of Richard. Take care, okay?”_

“Yeah, you too. And Jill? Thanks! Bye.” Claire sighed. She wasn’t sure a lawyer would help but she was out of ideas so it was worth a try.

* * *

A couple of days later, Claire was in the lawyer’s office for a meeting. She thanked the assistant and entered the room. “Hello, sir, thank you for meeting me.” She offered her hand.

The man smiled politely, shaking her hand. “Oh, no need for ‘sir’, I know my face says otherwise but I’m not that old, just call me Richard.” He joked.

Claire chuckled. “Well then hello, Richard. I’m Claire.”

“Nice to meet you, Claire.” The lawyer motioned toward the chair opposite his desk. “Please have a seat.” He waited for Claire to get comfortable, then did the same. “So, from what Jill told me, you are here for a guardianship dispute? I have to say, it’s not really my field of expertise. To be quite honest, I was surprised to hear from Jill after all these years but…” He shook his head then smiled. “I owe her a few favors so I’m happy to help however I can.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it. I don’t know how much Jill told you but yes, I’d like to obtain the guardianship of a child that is under government custody. Her name is Sherry.” She reached inside her bag and pulled out a manila folder. “I brought you all the information I could gather on the subject.” She handed him the folder. “Her parents died in 1998 and I’ve been there for her ever since. I don’t think it’s best for her wellbeing to stay with her current guardian and I believe she would be happier with me. I’m stable, I have a job, an apartment, a car…”

Richard opened the folder and glanced at the documents in front of him. The first one was a copy of Claire’s personal information. “Raising a child is never easy, especially alone and at your age.” He looked back at her before skipping through the documents again.

“I know,” Claire answered honestly. “But Sherry and I care for each other. I’m aware that’s not enough but…”

“You’re right, that’s not enough.” Richard cut her off gently. “But I’m sure we can build a solid case. I need to take a good look at your situation first.”

Claire smiled, grateful. “Thank you.”

“I won’t lie though,” The man closed the file and looked at his client seriously. “I can’t promise you it will work. Your previous attempt failed because Sherry is a ‘person of interest’ for the government.”

“That’s bullshit.” Claire blurted out. “Sorry, I…”

“No need to apologize, I’ve heard far worse.” Richard chuckled. “And you might be right but it’s a claim that can be difficult to dispute legally.”

“I understand.”

“I’m going to take a look at this.” He patted the folder. “And I’ll call you soon with a plan.”

“Great.” Claire smiled before standing up. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Richard stood up and shook her hand. Before she could leave, he asked. “Claire? Is… Jill still single? Would she be…”

Claire winced. “Sorry, not a chance…”

Richard laughed. “She’s too good for me anyway, but I thought I would ask.”

“She’s something else…” Claire felt bad for her answer. Technically Jill was free and it wasn’t any of her business but well, she had her brother’s back, even if he was too oblivious to see what was right in front of him. “Have a nice day.”

* * *

Claire worked on building her case with Richard for almost two weeks. She still hadn’t heard from Sherry in a while and it was starting to take a toll on her. To keep her mind off of things, she buried herself into her work, arriving early and leaving way after the cleaning crew had started their shift.

Two more weeks passed and when she came home after another long day, Claire was greeted by a courier.

“Ms. Redfield?” The man asked politely.

“Yes?”

“I have a letter for you.” The messenger handed her an envelope then presented his pad. “Can you sign here, please?”

Claire did as asked and wished the man a nice evening before entering her apartment. Wasting no time, she tore the envelop open and read the document. It was an official letter from the government informing her that, despite the interest of her application, they couldn’t grant her Sherry’s guardianship. She crumpled the piece of paper in her hand and screamed in frustration. She took a deep breath, trying to rein in her anger before pulling out her phone and calling her lawyer. “Hello, Richard.”

“Claire, I was about to call you. How are you?” He asked gently.

“Honestly? No great.” Claire answered bitterly.

“I’m assuming you received the same letter I did.” Richard paused. “I’m sorry.”

“I wish I could say I’m surprised but…” Claire knew it was a long shot, but it was the only hope she had left.

“You did everything right,” Richard assured her. “We had a strong case and it went further than it did last time thanks to my contact but some things are beyond our control…”

Claire went to her fridge and grabbed a beer. “I know, I just wish things could be different.” She popped the cap before taking a sip.

“Don’t we all?” Richard sighed. “Maybe we can try something else, I could…”

“No.” Claire shook her head even though the man couldn’t see her. “This is a dead-end, but thank you.” She sat on her couch.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Claire insisted. “I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

Richard chuckled. “I’m a big guy.”

“So is Simmons…”

“Alright,” Richard admitted defeat. “Well, my door is always open if you need help in the future. You take care of yourself, okay?”

Claire thanked him before hanging up. She glanced around her apartment with a heavy heart. She felt lonely for the first time in a while. Her brother and Jill were on a mission, tracking a former Umbrella’s employee and she didn’t want to bother Barry with her problems; the man already had his hands full with his family and their plan to move back to America. She sighed, now she wished she had kept in touch with her friends from college but how could they understand… She grabbed her phone again and tried to call Leon to give him the news but it went straight to voicemail. She toyed with her still half-full beer bottle and wondered what she could do next. She checked the time and decided to ride her bike to free her mind from worry, at least for a couple of hours.

* * *

The next morning, Claire was woken up by a phone call. Eyes still closed, she blindly reached out for her phone. “Hello?”

_“Claire? It’s Leon.”_

Claire opened her eyes and sat up on her bed. “Oh, hey, Leon.”

_“Did I wake you?” Leon asked apologetically. “I’m sorry, I know it’s early but I have to leave soon and...”_

“No, no, it’s fine.” Claire yawned. “Huh, I just wanted to tell you my application to obtain Sherry’s guardianship was denied and they can’t help me with my visitation rights either.”

_Leon sighed. “I knew this was coming…”_

“Things are bad, Leon.” Claire sighed wearily. “I don’t even know how she’s doing.”

_“I saw her two weeks ago, we didn’t talk much but she was fine,” Leon reassured her._

Claire was surprised Simmons hadn’t cut all of Sherry’s ties. “You’re still allowed to see her?”

_“Yes.”_

“Then you have to help me!” Claire pleaded.

_“Claire…”_

“Leon, please!”

_The agent sighed again. “Maybe if you apologize, I could convince Simmons to let you see Sherry one more time.”_

“Apologize?!” Claire cried.

_“Claire, I warned you it was a delicate situation…”_

“Yes, you’ve been pretty clear about that,” Claire snapped, remembering his comment about how she left Raccoon City without a second thought. “But you said you would help!”

_“I said I would try, I made no promises,” Leon corrected. “Maybe… maybe you should back off a little, let the dust settle…” He ventured. “She’ll be 18 in a few years and then…”_

“You want me to just wait and let that fucker use Sherry as his lab rat? Are you fucking kidding me?” Claire raised her voice. “I thought you cared about her.”

_“I do care, and I also care about you, that’s why I’m telling you to stop,” Leon replied calmly. “I can keep an eye on Sherry but if you persist down that road, you could put her in danger.”_

“No, you know what? Forget I asked, okay? I’ll figure something out!” Claire hung up on him. She laid back down in bed with a heavy sigh. “Guess I’m on my own...”

* * *

An hour later, Claire was on her way to work, her last conversation with Leon playing on repeat in her mind. She felt powerless and it made her angry. On an impulse, she turned the car around and headed west, toward Simmons’ office. She knew it was a mistake and she shouldn’t let the man get a rise out of her but she couldn’t break her promise to Sherry.

It was still early so Claire was hoping the place would be empty. It would give her an actual chance to talk to Miranda and maybe convince her to let her see Sherry. A guard was at the entrance but she dodged past him and made her way to the reception desk.

“Claire!” Miranda smiled at her but it quickly faded. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I know but I just need 5 minutes with Sherry.” Claire rushed to explain. “I promise I won’t try anything.”

“I… I can’t.” Miranda gave her a sad look. “I like you Claire, but I can’t risk my job for you.”

“Miranda, please!” Claire begged.

“I’m sorry.” The clerk shook her head. “It’s better for everyone if you leave now…”

“You heard the lady, Miss Redfield.” Someone said behind her.

Claire sighed, of course Alice was here. She turned around. “Listen, I’m not here to make a scene.”

“You’re not?” Alice crossed her arms, amused.

“No, I thought maybe…” Claire cursed, she definitely hadn’t thought this through. “I could apologize.” She managed not to gag at the thought of ever apologizing to Simmons. “Perhaps I’ve been too forceful. I’m sure we can work something out.”

“I think it’s too late for that,” Alice replied. “Now leave.”

Claire stood her ground. “I’m not done.”

“Yes, you are.” Alice took a step closer. “You said you wouldn’t make a scene.”

“Well, you’re not listening so now I’m making one,” Claire argued. She opened her mouth to keep talking but someone grabbed her from behind. It was the guard from earlier. She kicked him in the shin and freed herself from his grip. ‘I really shouldn’t have come.’ She thought as she tried to make her way toward the exit. She only made it a few steps before Alice stopped her.

“You’re coming with me.” Alice grabbed her and hoisted her on her shoulder, quickly walking towards the elevator.

“Let me go, you bitch.” Claire struggled.

“If you don’t calm down, I’m gonna drop you,” Alice warned.

“Where are you taking me?” Claire demanded. “I swear to God…”

“Relax, I’m just taking you to my office, not the basement.”

“Why?”

“So we can have some privacy.” Once the elevator’s doors closed, Alice asked. “If I put you down, are you going to behave?”

“Do it and find out.” Claire dared. Alice sighed but put her down anyway. As soon as her feet hit the floor, Claire slapped the woman. “That’s for manhandling me!”

Alice touched her cheek and smirked. “Feeling better?”

“Maybe one more.” Claire raised her a hand again but Alice caught it.

“I let you slap me once, I think that’s enough.” Alice let go of her hold once she was sure Claire wouldn’t try anything.

Claire huffed. “You’re so infuriating, has anyone ever told you that?” 

“Nicest thing I’ve heard in a while.” The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Alice made her way down the hall then opened her office door. “Get in.”

“Well, with that attitude, can you even be surprised?” Claire entered the room. “So what’s your plan, interrogate me?”

“I just want to talk, away from prying ears. Sit down.” Alice ordered.

“I’m fine.” Claire refused.

“Suit yourself.” Alice leaned back against her desk. “I gave you a free past last time but you can’t come here anymore. Simmons would be too happy to call the police on you this time around.”

Claire crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. “Is that a threat?”

“No, a friendly warning.” Alice’s face was expressionless. “You already got arrested once, isn’t that enough?”

“Of course you know about that.” Claire rolled her eyes. “Didn’t know you cared.”

Alice shrugged. “I would be impressed if it wasn’t so stupid.”

“Well, after a little stay in a prison years ago as inmate WKD4496, a few hours in a cell is nothing.” Claire wanted to show Alice that she wasn’t easily scared off.

“Stop being a pain in the ass!” Alice slammed her hand against the desk. “Listen carefully, you can’t win, Claire! At least not…”

Suddenly, the door opened and Simmons barged into the room. He looked between the two women, his eyes empty of emotions. He turned to Alice. “I didn’t know I was paying you to have tea with strays.”

“Sorry, sir.” Alice straightened her back. “I just wanted to check with you if you wanted me to call the police.”

Claire opened her mouth, ready to insult her but Alice gave her an almost unnoticeable shake of her head.

Simmons ignored his employee to focus on Claire. “I’m only going to tell you this one last time, Miss Redfield, if you care about Miss Birkin, you should back off. I would hate for something to happen to her.”

Claire knew a threat when she heard one. “You wouldn’t dare!”

“Accident happens all the time.” Simmons smiled darkly. “Good day, Miss Redfield.”

“So is that why you dragged me here?” Claire asked angrily as soon as they were alone in the room.

Alice didn’t answer but led Claire back to the elevator. Once inside, she murmured. “Believe me or not, I didn’t know he would come to my office.”

“Bullshit!”

Alice stayed silent until they were out of the building. She grabbed Claire’s arm to pull her closer and whispered. “Coffee shop, across the street, 6 PM.” Then she pushed Claire toward the sidewalk and went back inside.

“What was that?” Claire said to herself as she stared at Alice’s retreating back.

* * *

Claire hurried to work after that but she couldn’t stop thinking about Alice and her secret invitation. She left her office early that day, at least, earlier than usual, and drove to the coffee shop. As if she wasn’t already out of luck, traffic made her late.

She rushed inside the store and looked around. She spotted Alice at the counter and approached her. “What the hell do you want? Why the fuck am I here?” She said in a low voice, careful not to draw any attention.

Alice smirked. “Did anyone tell you that you swear a lot?”

Claire frowned. “So?”

“Redfield, you are something else.” Alice chuckled. “Enjoy your evening.” She said as she left the place.

“Wait!” Claire called after her. “What the f…”

“Redfield?” The barista shouted.

Claire turned around and stared at him. When he repeated her name, she moved closer. “It’s me but… I didn’t order anything.”

The young man shrugged and pushed the drink into her hands. “The woman you were with did it for you.”

“What is it?” Claire scowled at the cup.

“Cherry latte macchiato. Season special.”

“Thanks…” Claire moved out of the way, still looking at the drink suspiciously. Then she noticed the writing. ‘Bridge Street, 20min’. It was where the back entrance of the government building was. What was Alice playing at? She hesitated. She had already made a mistake by going back to that building and she wanted to avoid a repeat. On the other hand, if Alice wanted to get rid of her, she would have done it in her office. Claire walked outside and looked at the building from afar before glancing at her car. “Fuck it.” She made her way toward Bridge Street, keeping her drink in hand. If things went downhill, she could use it as a diversion.

Once she was there, Claire hid behind a dumpster and survey the entrance. After 30 minutes, she was starting to think Alice had played her but as she got ready to leave, an SUV pulled over and the back door opened. To her surprise, she saw Sherry emerging from the building. She felt relief wash over her. Without thinking she rushed toward the girl, pushing the guard to the side so she could hug her.

“Claire!” Sherry held her tight. “But what…”

“They are not letting me see you,” Claire whispered in her ear.

Sherry looked confused. “They said you were on a work trip and couldn’t see me anymore.”

“I’m not. Just don’t trust anyone, especially not Simmons.” Claire warned her. “I'll get you out of this, I promise.”

“We have to go, Miss Birkin.” The guard pulled Sherry away from Claire and dragged her inside the car.

As Claire made her way back to her car, she realized she still had her coffee cup in hand. She stopped in front of a trashcan and threw it away. She stared at it and noticed the phone number written at the bottom. She shook her head and resumed her walking but after a couple of steps, she turned around and got the cup back to copy the number.

Claire didn’t use the number right away. She didn’t know why Alice had decided to help or even if it was just a scheme but she was still grateful. A few days later, she sent a simple text. “Thank you. CR.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I was waiting for a bit more feedback before posting a new chapter but well, 2020 is hell and shows no sign of stopping so I thought we could all use the small distraction… Anyway, lots of Clairice interactions in this chapter. Please, let me know what you think, thanks!

Claire went back to her routine after that, while still trying to come up with a new plan. She knew the security guard had informed Simmons about her surprise encounter with Sherry and it would be harder to pull off that trick again but maybe not impossible.

After a few days of radio silence, Claire received a text from Alice. It was just a time and an address but Claire decided to go check. Her GPS led her to a store with nothing particular at first glance. She settled in a café on the opposite side of the street and waited. 30 minutes later, a black SUV parked in front of the store and Simmons casually stepped out of the car, closely followed by Sherry. She knew she couldn’t get close but it was still good to see Sherry, even from afar. The girl looked tired but otherwise healthy, at least from what she could tell. She watched them until the car drove off. Claire sighed. She couldn’t understand why Alice was helping her. The woman was working for Simmons. Even if she didn’t know how rotten the man was, it was still a red flag. And if Alice was just doing her job as a government employee, why would she risk her position for Sherry? It didn’t make sense, unless she knew more about what was going on behind closed doors. She grabbed her phone and sent Alice a text. **‘Thanks, but why are you helping? What’s the catch?’**

Her text stayed unanswered once again. They continued the same way for a couple of weeks, Alice sending her coordinates but never answering back. It was clear now that Alice had not decided to help her on a whim but it was still hard to understand her motivations. Claire had spent a lot of time going over their previous conversations. Alice had never been outright hostile toward her, if anything, she had been the one snapping at her. The woman had always answered calmly and with a smirk. That damn smirk was annoying. It was as if Alice was amused by her behavior, which was weird knowing how Simmons seemed displeased by Alice’s decision to bring her to her office instead of throwing her out right away. There was definitely more to the story but until Alice decided to answer her, she was stuck with her questions. She guessed all she could do right now was trust her guts.

A few days later, things changed. Claire received a longer message, with actual words and a few sentences giving her instructions to follow. When she arrived at the location, she was surprised to see it was a hair salon. She made her way to the back door and knocked, unsure. When nothing happened, she tried the handle and it opened. Despite being Saturday and seeing patrons inside, Claire entered the place cautiously. “Hello?” She heard her name and suddenly she was engulfed in a hug. “Sherry! What are you doing here?”

Sherry pulled away. “I’ve been asking Derek for a haircut for weeks but he kept saying no, then Alice convinced him to let me go with her.” She pointed at her disheveled, half-cut hair.

“Really?” Claire tried not to make a face at Sherry’s use of Simmons’ first name. She was aware that the girl had grown attached somehow, but she was pretty sure it was Stockholm syndrome more than anything. “Where is Alice now?”

“She’s talking to the hairdresser,” Sherry answered.

“How do you know Alice?” Claire saw Sherry hesitate so she smiled reassuringly. “It’s okay, you can tell me.”

“When your visits started to be few and far between, Alice kinda stepped up.” Sherry shrugged. “It’s nothing big, she’s not allowed in the lab during the tests but she always discreetly checks on me afterward.” She looked at the floor sadly. “She’s the only one being nice to me lately...”

“Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry.” Claire felt a pang of guilt and sadness. The girl deserved so much more than the mess she was in and somehow, Claire knew she had made it worse. She needed to find a solution and fast.

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault.” Sherry reassured, squeezing Claire’s hand.

“I know it’s hard, but I’m doing everything I can to free you from them,” Claire assured her.

“I trust you, Claire.” Sherry smiled. “If someone can help me, I know it’s you. Maybe you could ask Alice to help too?”

“I won’t give up on you.” Claire cupped the girl’s cheeks fondly. “And as for Alice, I’m not sure we can trust her.”

“I am.” Sherry declared.

“Sherry,” Alice called the girl. “Time to finish your haircut!” She waited for Sherry to sit down before joining Claire.

Claire nodded at her. “Hey.”

Alice smirked. “Hey, yourself.”

“I didn’t know you were also babysitting.” Claire didn’t want to sound ungrateful because she was glad to see Sherry but she didn’t like to be blindsided.

Alice shrugged. “What can I say? I’m full of surprises.”

“What’s your angle here?” Claire stared at her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh please,” Claire rolled her eyes. “You’re not answering any of my texts but you keep helping me meet Sherry.”

“Not answering your texts?” Alice chuckled. “Didn’t know we were married. At what time should I be home for dinner, honey? Should I pick Sherry after school? Oh, and do we need juice for our Sunday brunch?”

Claire crossed her arms, unamused. “What do you want?”

“I want nothing,” Alice said slowly as if to make sure her words were clearly understood.

“So you want me to believe, what exactly? That you’re helping us out of the goodness of your heart?” Claire snorted humorlessly. The woman’s nonchalance could be so irritating.

Alice shrugged again. “Believe what you want, I don’t really care.”

It was clear that Alice wouldn’t answer her questions so Claire tried something else. “Do you know where they keep her when she’s not at the lab?”

“Not yet. It seems to change every week or so.” Alice glanced at Sherry who was done with her new haircut. “We better head back.” She stepped back and started walking away.

Claire grabbed Alice’s wrist to stop her. “Whatever you’re doing, don’t forget that Sherry is still a child. If someone has to pay the price for this, it should be me, not her.”

Alice studied her for a moment. “If someone has to pay for anything, you won’t be the first one on the list.”

Claire stared at her. What was that supposed to mean? Sherry waved goodbye at her and Claire watched her leave with sadness in her eyes. They wouldn’t be able to keep up with the charade for long, she knew that, but she was going to enjoy it while it lasted.

* * *

Claire saw Sherry twice after that but only from afar. She hadn’t told her brother about her little shenanigans, she knew he would try to talk her out of it. Alice had also started texting her back and even sending her news about Sherry without prompting.

Slowly but surely, the texts grew in size and number. Claire hadn’t realized it at first but it dawned on her one day when Alice sent her a funny text about one of her colleagues’ disgusting habit. She had stopped mid-laugh, wondering when things had changed. She had to admit, Alice was weirdly funny and surprisingly sweet when she wasn’t trying to be a little shit.

Later, Claire asked again. **‘Why are you helping us?’**

Alice answered this time. _‘ **Because Sherry needs you.’**_

**‘What’s your goal exactly?** _’_ Claire texted back.

**_Alice: ‘Working on it. You’re gonna have to trust me…’_ **

Claire stared at her phone. Her trust had grown, she couldn’t deny it but it was shaky. Sherry seemed confident that Alice was on their side but the woman could still be a double agent, giving her breadcrumbs to appease her while keeping her in check. Alice hadn’t shared much about herself so it was hard to find anything concrete. **‘Trust isn't given, it's earned.’**

**_‘I aim to please…’_** Was Alice’s reply.

Claire frowned. “What does that even mean?” She sighed, she guessed she would have to wait and see.

* * *

Alice didn’t contact Claire for a few days after that. Claire was starting to wonder if something had happened or if the woman was just busy. Then one evening, she received a text from Alice asking her if she had safe way to communicate and to call her when she found one. Claire thought it was a bit extreme. Yes, she was a thorn in Simmons’ side but she was pretty sure the man had bigger fish to fry than wasting resources to spy on her more than necessary. Alice probably had a reason though, so Claire took her work Blackberry phone and called the woman.

_“Pizza factory, good evening.”_

Claire frowned and looked at the screen to make sure it was the right number. It was. “So you’re also working as a chef on top of everything else.” She laughed.

_“Claire!” Alice chuckled. “Hungry?”_

Claire shook her head at the woman’s ridiculousness. “No, but I’d like to know what’s going on.”

_“One can never be too careful.” Alice turned serious. “Simmons is growing suspicious.”_

“About what?”

_“Everyone, everything,” Alice stated. “I was followed a few times but they couldn’t find anything so they moved on to someone else.”_

“What started it?” Claire sighed, the last thing she needed was someone tailing her.

_“Sherry is happier lately and she keeps asking him to do things outside,” Alice explained._

Claire snorted. “It’s hardly enough to start spying on people.”

_“He’s also working on a new project,” Alice added._

“What does it have to do with me?” Claire questioned.

_“He asked me to break into your apartment and see if I can find anything connecting you to one of his employees,” Alice revealed._

Claire rolled her eyes, Simmons was another level of paranoid. “You are my only connection to his work.”

_“Oh, I feel special.” Alice awed._

“Not by choice,” Claire scoffed. “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

_Alice faked a gasp. “Now I’m hurt.”_

“So let me get this straight,” Claire started, focusing back on the subject at hand. “You asked me to call you so you could warn me that you’re planning on breaking into my place?”

_Alice hummed, amused. “That or you could just give me something that proves I was there.”_

“Nice try but I’m not giving you a pair of my panties, you pervert.” Sometimes Claire couldn’t believe the type of conversations she had with Alice.

_Alice laughed. “Well, I was thinking something more like a photograph or an old ID card but I like where your mind is going.”_

Claire rolled her eyes. “Keep dreaming.”

_“We’ll have to stage a fight too.” Alice informed her._

“What?” Claire laughed despite herself.

_“You haven’t tried anything in weeks,” Alice stated. “It’s starting to look suspicious.”_

“Are you kidding me?” Claire was so done with that man. “He threatened to hurt Sherry if I ever show up again and now he wants me to?”

_“He just wants to play with you.”_

“Well, I’m not in the mood.” Claire replied tiredly. It was getting harder to juggle between her work and her fight to obtain Sherry’s guardianship.

_“You don’t really have a choice.” Alice said almost apologetically._

Claire sighed. “What do you want me to do?”

_“You should park close to the building. I’ll go out to talk to you, making sure he sees me leave. Then you can just yell at me.” Alice suggested._

“That I can manage…”

_“I’m sure you can.” Alice chuckled. “I’ll just tell you when.” She was met by silence. “Claire?”_

“Yes.”

_“Is something wrong?” Alice questioned._

“It’s just…” Claire hesitated, wondering if she should speak her mind. “You’re going to great length to warn me. You helped me see Sherry again and you’re working on a plan to get her out of Simmons’ grip but…”

_“You said trust should be earned.”_

“Is that what you’re doing?” Claire knew she needed Alice’s help if she ever wanted to see Sherry again but she still couldn’t understand the woman’s motive. “Giving me things so you can earn my trust, and then what?”

_“Nothing.” Alice answered simply._

“Nothing?” Claire sighed, the answer was always the same.

_“I can’t force you to trust me but I’m going to help you anyway.” Alice declared._

“While still working for Simmons.” It was something that Claire could use to her advantage, yes, but it could also be her downfall and she was aware of that.

_“I see myself more as a free agent.”_

“Free agent can be bought.” Claire pointed out.

_“I’m not a mercenary,” Alice interjected. “I have plans for the future.”_

Well, that was new to Claire. “Which are?”

_“We should get to know each other better before I tell you,” Alice teased. “In the meantime, I’m your only chance to help Sherry, so you’re going to have to work with me.”_

“Fine,” Claire caved. “Just tell me when I should try my hand at improv.”

_Alice chuckled. “Will do, bye Claire.”_

* * *

As planned, Claire mailed Alice a copy of an old picture from middle school so the woman could use it as a proof but she really didn’t feel good about it. Alice later assured her that Simmons had only glanced at it with a smile and the picture was still in her possession. She didn’t know how she felt about that but it was still better than having someone rummaging through her things without her consent.

Claire was now parked close to the government building, like Alice had asked, waiting for the woman to show up. A few minutes later, she noticed Alice making her way toward her. “Showtime!” She put on an annoyed face and turned to Alice as soon as she knocked on her window. She rolled down the window.

“You shouldn’t be here.” Alice stated seriously.

“Last time I checked, we’re in a free country.” Claire replied. “I can park wherever I want.”

Alice snorted. “It’s a good one. Did you rehearse?”

Claire frowned. She could see the earpiece in Alice’s ear and wondered why the woman was talking to her so casually. “Sorry?”

“He can’t hear us, but I can hear him.” Alice informed her. “He’s watching though, so get out of the car and yell at me.”

Claire did as asked and slammed the door shut. “What’s your deal?”

“Well, right now a charming lady is yelling at me in the middle of the street when I’m just trying to do my job.” Alice shrugged.

Claire fought back a laugh and continued. “Well maybe, if the lady in question could enjoy her evening in peace instead of pulling a stupid stunt, she would be nicer.”

Alice raised an eyebrow. “So you think you’re charming?”

“Definitely more than you!” Claire pushed Alice’s shoulder.

“I agree.” Alice was emotionless but there was amusement in her eyes. “Now, I’m gonna need you to hit me.”

“What? No!” Claire shook her head. It was definitely not part of the plan.

“Don’t tell me you’ve never thought about it?” Alice smirked.

“Sometimes I want to wipe that damn smirk out of your face,” Claire admitted, pointing at Alice’s face to look menacing. “But I would never hit you willingly.”

“You slapped me once.” Alice reminded her.

“Because you carried me like a sack of potatoes!” Claire countered. She had felt bad afterward, especially after Alice offered her help but now was not the time to discuss the topic.

“Apology accepted.” Alice nodded. “And here's my apology in advance.”

Claire was ready to ask her for what but Alice pushed her against the car. “Seriously?” She glared.

“Go ahead!” Alice grabbed her arm. “Hit me!”

“Are you sure?” Claire shoved her away. When Alice nodded slightly, she whispered a sorry and hit her with a right hook.

“Holy fuck!” Alice recoiled. “You’re stronger than you look.” She caressed her jaw with her hand to soften the pain.

Claire stood her ground, wondering what Alice was going to do next. “Surprised?”

“Impressed.” Alice grabbed Claire’s arm and twisted it behind her back, pushing Claire against the hood of her car. She moved behind her to keep her in place.

It looked worse than it was. Alice had clearly held back to hurt her as little as possible. It was a nice of her and not something Claire had expected. She blew some air to refocus. “God, at least buy me dinner first.” She joked before she could think better of it.

Alice chuckled, leaning closer to hide her smile. She murmured. “Be careful, I could take you up on your offer.” Her radio crackled to life and she pressed her earpiece to answer. “Understood, sir.” She let go of Claire. “You’re free to go.”

Claire rubbed her arm. The gesture was more for show than anything else. “You’re too kind.”

“Looks like it worked.” Alice looked at Claire then arched an eyebrow, as if to ask if she was okay. When the woman nodded, she said. “Go home. I’ll contact you.” She walked back toward the building but stopped before boing inside to shout. “Consider this your last warning, next time you’ll have to deal with the police.”

Claire glared at her for good measure then climbed back into her car and drove home.

After a few days without news, Claire received a text from Alice. **_‘So about that dinner?’_**

* * *

Claire would be lying if she said Alice wasn’t attractive. Her over-confidence was as annoying as it was charming and her flirting was always on point. However, no matter what she felt, Claire refused to go down that road. It didn’t mean she was against building a tentative friendship though. Maybe if she got to know Alice better, it would help build the trust. That was why she had accepted Alice’s dinner invitation.

They met in a nearby town, away from prying eyes. To say Claire was surprised by the choice of restaurant would be an understatement. It was definitely fancy, fancier than any place she had ever been. Alice was already there when she arrived.

“Hi.” Claire smiled at her and sat down at the private booth.

“Hey.” Alice smiled back. “Did you find the place without too much trouble?”

“Yes. Interesting choice by the way.” A maître d' approached their table with a bottle of wine and nodded at Claire. He let Alice taste the wine before pouring 2 glasses. Claire thanked him and asked for some sparkling water.

“Too much?” Alice questioned once they were alone.

“Depends,” Claire reached for her drink. “You do know it’s not a date, right?”

Alice grabbed her glass and clinked it with Claire’s. “It isn’t? I guess I should cancel the flowers and the quartet then.”

Claire stared at her. “You know, sometimes I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.”

Alice took a sip of her wine before smirking. “That’s part of my charm.”

“If you say so.” Claire chuckled. She tasted her wine, it was definitely not a cheap bottle, not that she knew much about wine.

They fell into a comfortable silence as they studied the menu. After ordering, they made small talk. They quickly discovered that they both had a passion for motorcycles.

“So, how’s work?” Claire questioned casually when their meals arrived. She didn’t want to make it look like she only cared about Sherry but it was hard to push the thought aside and enjoy her evening as if nothing was wrong.

Alice shrugged. “The usual.”

“The usual, that’s all?” Claire shook her head. Sometimes, it felt like pulling teeth to get an answer from Alice. “A woman of a few words, I see.”

“And you don't strike me as someone who beats around the bush, so why don't you ask what you want to ask instead.” Alice arched an eyebrow.

Alice was perceptive, Claire didn’t know what she expected. “How is your plan coming along?”

“Is that why you agreed to meet with me?” Alice asked back. “Because I could have saved you some time and text you the answer.”

“Alice… I could copy the integrality of your texts on the back of a parking ticket. I just want to know more.”

“Claire, I don’t like to repeat myself, I said I’m working on it,” Alice replied, not unkindly, but not gently, either. “It’s going to take some time.”

“You keep saying that but I haven’t heard any ideas yet.” Claire pointed out.

Alice snorted. “I didn’t know I was supposed to report to you every time I come up with something.”

“Time is moving fast,” Claire reminded her. “We have to do something. Do you know where they keep her?”

“Yes.”

Claire frowned. “Then what are we waiting for?”

Alice sighed, as if she was trying to keep her calm. “Let’s say we go there and rescue Sherry, then what? Simmons will track you down and he won’t give up until you’re both dead.”

“I…” Claire knew deep down Alice was right. She couldn’t just save Sherry and hide, going on the run with a teenager would be a suicide. Men like Simmons didn’t fall from grace easily. She needed a plan and a bargaining chip. “Fine…”

“You can’t rush headfirst into danger because…”

“I can take care of myself, thank you very much.” Claire interrupted. She didn’t need a lecture, especially not one she had heard many times before.

“I don’t doubt that,” Alice looked at her with an amused smile. “But aren’t friends supposed to have each other’s backs?”

“Are we friends?” Claire wasn’t expected that. They had become friendly for sure but certainly not friends.

Alice shrugged. “We can be, it’s up to you.” When Claire didn’t reply, she said. “Or we can keep it professional and you can leave right now.”

Claire grabbed her fork and smiled. “I saw some nice desserts, so I guess I can stay a bit longer.”

The conversation went smoothly after that. They enjoyed their meals, sharing laughs and smiles. Despite Claire’s comment that it wasn’t a date, Alice kept flirting and to her surprise, Claire found herself going along with it once or twice.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is more action-oriented because I love badass Claire. Feedback is welcome!
> 
> Spoilers RE8 trailer: It’s short so we can’t jump to conclusions but as I expected, I’m not excited about it. Werewolves aren’t my thing and although I think it’s great that Chris is back, if he’s a villain, well, no thanks. Let that poor, traumatized man retire instead of killing him. I said in my first author note that I wanted them to finish some storylines but not at all costs. You can shake things up to renew the story a bit but you don’t have to ruin old characters to introduce new ones. I mean, if they insist on having ‘random white dude #9’ as their new protagonist, fine, but at least bring old ones as supportive characters (they have a closet full of abandoned characters).
> 
> Maybe the fact that I don’t like Ethan doesn’t help, maybe someone with more personality would make a difference (a woman or better a WOC) but I just can’t. I don’t know, I don’t want to sound like those incel gamers that refuse changes but I just don’t vibe with the direction the story is taking. For the love of God, can’t we have a game with Jill and Claire? At this point, I even want prequels just so we can spend a bit more time with the old team.
> 
> A/N 2: Last-minute addition so don’t read if you don’t want to see possible spoilers. Guess I was right to worry in my previous note. There are a lot of rumors about Chris going rogue and killing Claire (or it’s Natalia killing her and the Burtons but same result) then Rebecca because they tried to stop him and after that Ethan and Leon team up to take him down. Oh and Wesker could be back too! And I’m like WTF? It seems way too big, especially when they never bring more than 2 old characters together at the same time. I can’t find the original post, but comments said the OP was right about stuff we saw in the last trailer. I think it’s BS but if something happens to Claire, I’m gonna burn this shit to the ground and be done with Capcom.

Claire was on her way to Canada for work. She was supposed to investigate a rumor of rabid comportment among the animal population in the Alberta region. The local authorities had contacted TerraSave directly, wanting to confirm the problem before calling any official agencies.

It was Claire’s first mission on the field. So far, she had spent most of her time developing contingency plans to respond the most effectively to bio-terrorist attacks. Her NGO was growing, slowly getting more funding and recruiting more people. Since families of the Raccoon City incident victims created the organization, they knew it wasn’t a question of ‘if’ there would be another outbreak, but rather ‘when’. That was why they wanted to expand their missions and offer their expertise. Claire was aware that if her assignment went well, she could get a promotion as a result and it was more than welcome.

When Claire arrived at the airport, an officer welcomed her. The woman was tall, with light russet skin and long, dark hair.

“Follow me.” The woman took her suitcase and led her to her car. “Your name is Redfield, right?”

“Call me Claire.” Claire smiled and got into the car.

“I’m Officer Sokanon, but you can call me Luna. I’ll be your referent while you’re here.” She reached between the car seats and pulled out a folder. “Everything you need to know about the area is inside.” She handed it to Claire. “For the rest, you can just ask me.”

“Thanks.” Claire didn’t waste any time and opened the folder, skimming through the documents. “There’s nothing about what happened near the mine.” They hadn’t given her a lot of details on the situation but she knew the first cases started close to a sand mine.

“The reports are confidential but I will tell you everything once we’re on the site.” The officer explained.

Claire tried not to sigh. She knew that if the police were involved, it would complicate her job but she didn’t think it would be right from the start. Luna seemed nice though so maybe they could find common ground. “I understand that you want to avoid unnecessary panic among the inhabitants but to do my job correctly, I’m going to need these reports.”

Luna nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Claire looked out the window, they were surrounded by miles and miles of forest. If there was indeed an infection spreading, it would work to their advantage, keeping it contained and away from the population.

“Have you ever visited Canada before?” The officer questioned.

“I was supposed to but... Life got in the way.” Claire had planned to visit Barry in Canada for a while now but her life had never slowed down enough to give her a chance to do so. And with the whole mess with Simmons, she didn’t want to be away from home for too long, just in case. “I visited Europe once, though.”

“How was it?”

Claire snorted, remembering everything she had to do to find Chris. “Quite an adventure.”

“I can imagine.” Luna laughed. “We’re here.” She stopped the car.

Claire got out of the vehicle and studied the place. The authorities had settled a base a mile away from the mine with several military tents and a fence. It was a good start.

“We were able to capture a few animals but their number keeps growing.” Luna motioned for Claire to follow as she entered a tent. “Rabies usually kills its host within five days so we were waiting for them to die before we could make some tests, but… they’re still alive.”

Claire’s eyes instantly fell on the five cages scattered around the place. There were a coyote, a raccoon, a badger and 2 red foxes. They weren’t just agitated, they looked enraged and thirsty for blood. She took a careful step closer to the coyote’s cage and the red eyes looking back at her were enough to confirm her suspicion. “Step back!” She said as she saw Luna lean closer to a cage.

Luna turned around. “What?”

“It’s not rabies, these animals are infected by something else. I’ve already seen cases like this, so I’m pretty sure it’s a manmade virus. You need to put them down.” As if to prove Claire’s point, the caged animals started to get more frantic, throwing themselves against the bars. “Now!”

The officer hesitated. “I think I should ask my…”

Claire looked around for something to do. The man that was guarding the entrance was now standing wide-eyed next to her. She glanced at his holster and without thinking, she took his gun. It was an emergency, she could deal with the consequences later. She turned around swiftly and aimed the gun at the animals, shooting them one by one in the head. She loved animals and she felt bad for them, but there was nothing else she could do. Luna was now pointing her weapon at her. “Sorry! Here...” She gave the gun back to the guard then raised her hands in surrender. “I had to. Trust me, you don’t want to see what happens if one of us gets bitten.” She paused. “Did anyone get hurt when you capture them?”

“No, but…” Luna holstered her gun. “You should have asked before acting.”

“I did.” Technically, Claire asked _them_ to do something but since nobody moved, she had to take over.

“Are you sure it was the right call?” The officer insisted, staring at the dead animals.

“Yes,” Claire assured her. “You asked me to help and I can tell you right now, you have a big problem on your hands.”

Luna sighed, running her hand through her hair. “Alright. I need to call my supervisor and inform him of the situation. Can you wait for me in the car?” She turned to the guard. “Make sure no one gets in.”

Claire took the time to check the other tents on her way to the car, making sure there weren’t other animals inside. Luna joined her a few minutes later.

“I need to bring you to the station immediately,” The officer announced.

“Am I in trouble?” It wouldn’t be the first time but Claire knew she did the right thing. It was her job and if someone disagreed, she would have to explain how serious the situation was.

Luna chuckled. “No, my supervisor just wants to talk to you and understand what we are dealing with.”

“Okay, good.” Claire nodded to herself. They needed a plan and soon.

“Although next time,” The officer added. “Don’t steal a gun from an officer, we don’t mess around with gun control here.”

“I’ll try my best but if an infected beast runs towards me, I might need to do that again.” Claire smiled. She didn’t want Luna to think she was trying to impinge on her work.

“Noted.” Luna smiled back. “You’re definitely not what I expected.”

Claire shrugged. “I’ve been told I’m full of surprises.”

“I can see that.” Luna laughed.

* * *

Once at the station, Claire explained the situation to the Inspector, telling him about the virus and why she had to kill the infected animals.

The man listened carefully then leaned deeper into his seat with a sigh. “We heard rumors but I didn’t think they were true. We need to take care of the situation quickly. Just tell us how you usually proceed.”

“Mr. Trembley, I appreciate the trust you put in me and TerraSave but my role was to confirm the infection. Now that we know it’s serious, you should contact a special agency to deal with…”

“Ms. Redfield,” Mr. Trembley interrupted her. “We are a small community. Our citizens can’t afford to lose the money coming from the mine. I’m sure you are aware that, if we inform our government, or God forbids, the US government, it’s going to be a circus around here. I’d like to avoid that, that’s why we contacted an independent organization in the first place. It wasn’t easy to find someone who could help us discreetly and…”

It was Claire’s turn to cut him off. “I’m sorry but my job isn't to cover up what happened, or persecute the person responsible for it, it’s to investigate a possible infection.”

“And you did.” The Inspector said with a smile.

“It won’t be enough.” Claire insisted. “You need to track down and kill all the animals that are infected but most importantly, you need to find and contain the source of the infection.”

“Well that requires an investigation and you said it was your job so I will give you all the resources you need and you can start tomorrow.” Mr. Trembley stood up, a clear sign that the conversation was over. “Thank you, Ms. Redfield. You should get some rest now, tomorrow will be a long day.”

Claire shook his hand and left his office. Their conversation left a bad taste in her mouth. She could understand why another country wouldn’t want her government to show up all guns blazing but TerraSave wasn’t a military group, it was a human rights organization.

After Luna drove her back to her hotel, Claire called her boss to explain the situation. The woman told her to keep digging and wait until they knew more before contacting anyone. After all, Claire was only a consultant and it would look bad to act behind their back.

* * *

Early the next day, Claire met Luna for breakfast. Since they had a meeting later with the director of the sand mine, the officer wanted to brief her on the subject.

Claire took a sip of her coffee. “Who owns it?”

“Big oil companies from different countries,” Luna said as she bit on her toast.

“And the director?”

“I interrogated him already. He didn’t seem to know what was going on.” The officer shrugged.

“He could be lying.” Claire grabbed her fork and took a bite of her pancake.

“I did some research, there’s nothing out of the ordinary,” Luna stated. “He’s clean.”

Claire snorted. “As clean as someone working for oil companies can be!”

Luna smiled, amused. “You’re right, but that’s another debate.”

They finished their breakfast before making their way to the mine.

* * *

The meeting didn't give Claire much to work with. The director denied any connection with Umbrella and assured them that they weren’t using dangerous chemicals on the site. All he knew was that his employees noticed the weird behavior of the wild animals and that was why he contacted the authorities.

After lunch, Claire decided to explore the area with Luna. They started with the surrounding forest, taking advantage of daylight. They had to be careful in case they stumbled upon an animal.

“So, is this a regular occurrence for you? Dealing with infected animals?” The officer questioned.

“No, thankfully, but… I can't tell you it's never happened before...” Claire remembered the Cerberus she had encountered on her way to the orphanage in Raccoon City all too well.

Luna nodded before handing Claire her handgun, keeping her shotgun. “Here. I suppose I don’t have to ask you if you know how to use it.”

“Thanks.” Claire took the gun. She had a firearms license and she told Luna as much but they weren’t really in the states right now. “Is that allowed?”

“Like that, you won’t have to steal it if we get attacked.” The officer said with a smile. “But in all honesty, we're not dealing with a normal situation here. It’s not safe and since my supervisor insists that a civilian should help us, no offense, I think we can bend the rules a little. It will be our little secret.” 

Claire laughed. “Please, don’t jinx us!” They kept searching the area, looking for carcasses or anything out of place. When it was clear that nothing was amiss, they slowly made their way back to the makeshift base. “I have a feeling that whatever we are looking for is near the sand mine. We should look into the director’s whereabouts again.”

“We can do that while my team…” Luna stopped, noticing movement out of the corner of her eye.

“What?” Claire followed Luna’s line of sight and almost choked on air. A few feet away from them was standing a moose and it was staring right back at them. “Holy shit…” She breathed out.

Luna stepped behind Claire. “Stay calm. Don’t make any sudden move or noise.” She whispered in Claire’s ear, slowly pulling the woman away from the animal to take cover behind a tree.

Claire knew moose were dangerous and could attack you without hesitation but what made it worse was that it looked infected. The moose’s ears were pinned back, its hackles up and it kept licking his snout. They were definitely screwed.

With a loud snort of rage, the beast charged toward them and the women jumped out of the way a second before it could reach them. Claire rolled to the side and hastily got to her feet. She shot it once but the animal barely reacted. She shot again, trying to find a weak spot and soon, Luna joined her with her shotgun.

“How many bullets does it take to kill this thing?” Claire asked anxiously, reloading her gun with the magazine Luna just gave her. 

“With the guns we have, a truckload, and that’s for a normal one. I think we’re just making it angrier.” Luna grabbed Claire’s wrist and started running. With her free hand, she pressed the button of her radio. “Calling all units, we need backup. Infected moose on the loose.”

Claire followed the officer. “We can’t leave it here, it could hurt someone else.”

“Right now, I’m more preoccupied with our own survival.” The officer declared. The moose was still behind them.

“Well, it doesn’t look like it’s going away.” Claire swirled around and started shooting again.

The animal charged again but Claire was slow to react. Despite the adrenaline, she knew they wouldn’t be able to keep up for long. Luna pushed her to the side before she could get hurt by the moose’s antlers. Claire crashed to the ground, hitting her head on a root. She groaned in pain. She glanced around, trying to refocus. Luna was also on the ground, holding her side. Then she searched for the beast, it was still there but it had moved back. She cursed when she realized her gun had slid somewhere out of sight. After several failed attempts to stand, Claire slowly crawled toward Luna while keeping an eye on the moose. Even if she knew it was pointless, she sat up and grabbed Luna’s shotgun, shooting at the moose to keep it away until she ran out of ammo. “Shit! Fuck!”

“Claire…” Luna winced in pain as she sat on her knees.

“Can you run?” Claire questioned even though she already knew the answer. Just when she was starting to realize it was a losing battle, several officers appeared and shot the moose until it hit the ground. Claire sighed and let herself fall back against the ground, a relieved laugh escaping her lips.

Luna joined in. “Well, that was something.” She grimaced as she slowly stood up. “I’m going to be sore for days.” She offered her hand to help Claire.

Claire gratefully took her hand. “You and me both.”

“You’re bleeding.” Luna frowned, pointing at Claire’s face.

Claire instantly touched her forehead, then looked at the blood on her fingers. “At least, I’m alive…Thanks.”

“You did more than your share, so thank you.” Luna gently patted Claire’s shoulder.

One officer approached them to make sure they were okay. Luna thanked him before they all made their way back to the base. Once they were there, a medic looked at Claire’s wound before checking on Luna.

* * *

Claire took pride in doing things herself but she could also admit when she needed help. The Inspector might not want to ask help from officials but he never said anything about a private agency. She looked for a quiet spot then pulled out her phone, calling her brother.

_“Redfield.”_

“Chris.” Claire sighed heavily.

_“Claire, Is everything alright?”_

The sound of his voice felt like a soothing balm on her heart. It was always nice to see her brother could tell when she wasn’t at her best just by a sigh. “I had an encounter with an infected moose.”

_“What? Are you alright? What happened?” Chris fired up questions. “I thought you were just there to investigate…”_

“I’m fine.” Claire quickly waved away his worry. “We were looking for clues and then a clue found us. Actually, that’s why I’m calling. I need your help.”

_There was a pause then Chris spoke. “Not that I’m a fan of your friend but shouldn’t you call Leon?”_

“Urgh…” It wasn’t a decision Claire wanted to make. She was aware that if the Inspector were to ask for the US government’s help, it would be Leon’s team who would show up. She trusted her friend to do a good job, the problem laid more with the people he worked for.

_“Claire…”_

“We got into an argument,” Claire confessed, almost petulantly.

_Chris sighed. “This is not high school anymore; we don’t have time for…”_

“I know,” Claire cut him off.

_“Is this about Sherry?” Chris guessed._

“Yes but it’s not just that, the authorities don’t want our country to get involved.” Claire insisted. “Besides, I’m a bit of a persona non grata for some people in the government right now.”

_“Do you really think they roll out the red carpet every time I ask them to do something?” Chris chuckled._

Claire laughed. “No.”

_“I just don’t want you to get in trouble,” Chris said more seriously._

“I thought trouble was my middle name.” Claire joked.

_Chris laughed. “Dad used to think that and he wasn’t wrong.”_

“Yeah…” Claire smiled to herself. “Just get here… please.”

_“Yes ma’am.” Chris agreed. “Just text me the info. And please, be careful.”_

Claire hung up. Now she needed to inform Luna that help was on the way. As if she had summoned her, the officer approached her.

“Claire? Are you alright?”

Claire knew that if she said her head was pounding, the woman would force her to leave so she lied. “I’m fine. How are you?”

“Just cuts and bruises,” Luna reassured. “I can drive you back to your hotel if you’d like. You should probably rest after what happened.”

“I’d rather stay if you don’t mind. We need to find what caused the infection or we’re going to have a repeat of today.” Claire checked her watch. It was 5 PM.

“We were lucky the response team wasn’t far from us.” The officer admitted with a weary sigh.

“We were. That’s why I asked someone to help us.”

“Claire…”

“He’s my brother,” Claire explained. “He works for a private agency that has no connection to the government.”

“I’m gonna need to inform my supervisor,” Luna stated. “But for now, follow me. We set up an office for you in one of the tents.”

* * *

Claire settled at a desk and sighed. Her whole body was aching and it felt good to sit down. Luna handed her a few files, and after a quick text to her brother, she immersed herself in them. She studied the map of the site with attention. “Was the sand mine always this big?”

“No, it has been growing exponentially for the past couple of years,” Luna answered from her desk.

“I noticed a pond when we went there this morning. Did you test the water?”

“Not yet but we can go tomorrow.” Luna yawned. “Okay, I need some coffee. Want some?” She stood up and stretched to get rid of the crick in her back.

“Yes, please,” Claire replied without lifting her head from her file. A minute later, her phone rang. She looked at the screen with a frown then answered. “Alice? Is there something wrong? Is Sherry alright?” Claire had informed Alice that she was going on a work trip, just in case something came up with Sherry. What was surprising though, was that Alice never called her unless it was important so her mind started to imagine the worst scenarios.

_“Sherry is fine, Claire. I just wanted to check on you.”_

Claire relaxed. “Really?” It dawned on her that they usually texted each other almost every day but she hadn’t contacted Alice since she arrived in Canada.

_“I thought it was something friends do,” Alice said._

“Is it?” Claire smiled. The call wasn’t unwelcomed, especially after the day she had. Alice was easier to talk to now that they had started a friendship and it was nice to know her friend cared enough to make sure she was alright. She sat more comfortably in her chair and let go of the tension in her shoulders.

_Alice hummed. “Well, at least that’s what the book ‘How to make friends in 10 easy steps’ says.”_

Claire laughed heartily. “I really hope you didn’t buy that book.”

_“You’ll never know!” Alice hushed in a conspiratorial voice. “More seriously, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go on a bike ride with me whenever you're free. I thought you would like it better than a fancy restaurant.”_

“Well, the food was good.” Claire conceded.

_“And the company,” Alice added._

“Maybe…” Claire chuckled but stopped when she saw Luna enter the tent. She touched her ponytail and quickly composed herself before clearing her throat. “Huh, Alice, I have to go but I’ll text you soon. Bye.” She hung up without waiting for an answer.

“Someone special?” The officer asked with a teasing smile.

Claire snorted. “I wouldn’t say that, no.”

Luna put Claire’s coffee on her desk. “Really? Sparkling eyes, cheeks flushed, deeper voice, they’re all signs of…”

“Just a trick of the light and I’m tired.” Claire interrupted her, grabbing her mug and sipping her coffee. It was definitely not a conversation she wanted to have right now, especially not with someone she barely knew. Alice was just her friend anyway, well, her new attractive friend who was helping her with Sherry. It was complicated…

Luna hummed in amusement. “I’m not judging.”

“I think we should call it a day.” Claire stood up, gulping the rest of her coffee before closing the file in front of her.

Luna nodded. “Let me drive you back to your hotel.”

* * *

Claire was waiting for her brother at the airport while Luna was in the car. She waved at Chris as soon as she saw him.

Chris answered with a kind smile. “Hello, sis!” He hugged her.

“Hey.” Claire relaxed in his arms. “It’s nice to see you.”

Chris pulled away to look at her and saw the bandaid on her forehead. “I thought I said be careful.”

“I was careful.” Claire hooked her arm with his and bumped his shoulder playfully. “How’s Jill?” She asked as she led him to the car.

“Good, she says hi.”

After introducing Chris to Luna, Claire briefed her brother on the situation and they all agreed to visit the mine again. They drove to the base first so Chris could remove his casual clothes and put his gear on. Once he was done, they went to the sand mine.

While Luna was talking to the officer guarding the site to know if there was anything new, Claire and Chris went to the pond.

“Okay, let see if the water is contaminated.” Chris put on a pair of medical gloves then opened a pocket of his army vest to get a test tube. He opened another one to retrieve a pill bottle.

Claire watched her brother work, intrigued by his equipment. Science had never been his forte and it was weird to see him handle this kind of material. “Where did you get all that?”

“Rebecca,” Chris said with a small smile. “She helps us now and then.”

“Oh wow,” Claire knew the woman from back when Chris was part of the STARS. “I haven’t talked to her in ages. How is she?”

Chris kneeled down. He filled the test tube with water then added a blue pill, shaking the tube to mix the two. “Working on her PhD.”

“God, that girl is a genius.” Claire had always liked Rebecca, she was nice and always ready to help. She should definitely try to contact her again. She also wouldn’t mind getting her hands on some of these test kits.

“Jealous?” Chris joked when he saw his sister stare at his equipment. “You were always jealous of my toys.” He waved the test tube closer to her with a big smile.

“A little bit but I’m sure if I ask nicely, Rebecca will give me one.” Claire sighed, talking about Rebecca was bringing back old memories. “Remember when I used to visit you on weekends and we had big BBQs at Barry’s house with everyone. It feels like a lifetime ago…”

“I try not to think about it too much.”

“I hope we can do that again someday.” Claire missed those simpler times. Chris hummed in answer and she recognized it a sign to drop the subject.

The water in the tube changed color and Chris sighed. “It’s positive. If some animals came to drink here, it explains why they’re infected but…” He stood up and scanned the site with his eyes. “It makes no sense to just contaminate the pond. The source must be somewhere else.”

Luna joined them. “So?”

“Positive,” Claire informed her.

The officer nodded. “I questioned the mine’s security guard. He said the workers started cutting woods and digging North two weeks ago.”

“It could fit the timeline,” Claire stated.

“Can we go there?” Chris inquired. He removed his gloves and packed his equipment.

“Sure. They stopped working on the area after the director contacted us but everything should still be in place.” Luna led them to the spot, using the instructions the guard had given her. It wasn’t too far.

When they reached the zone, Claire put her hands on her hips and whistled. “That’s a lot of sand!”

Chris chuckled. “That’s the point.”

“Ah ah, thank you, Mister Sandman.” Claire punched her brother’s shoulder.

Chris inspected the place. His focus fell on a backhoe and the new hole they were digging with it. “Do you think a team can come and keep digging that spot?” She asked the officer.

“Shouldn’t be a problem.” Luna looked at the bottom of the hole but it wasn’t too deep and there was nothing there. “Is there something I don’t see here?”

Chris shook his head. “No, but I want to check if there’s something underneath.”

Claire saw Luna stare at her brother with doubtful eyes. “Just go with it. Besides, there’s nothing else here so it’s worth a shot.”

“Okay,” Luna called someone on her radio and asked them to send a team of workers.

Once the men joined them, Chris asked a worker to start digging. 20 minutes later, the backhoe’s shovel hit something. The man turned off the engine and his colleague grabbed his shovel to remove the rest of the sand to see what it was. Chris stopped him, telling him to stay where he was while he went to check it out. He took the shovel then jumped into the hole. Claire followed him and he caught her as she leaped.

“Thanks.” Claire smiled at him. They both knew his help wasn’t necessary but Chris was protective and she didn’t mind.

Chris pushed the sand away with the shovel until it screeched against something metallic. It looked like a shipping container. There was something painted on it so he kneeled down and brushed away the sand until a logo appeared. “Umbrella…”

Claire groaned. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Whatever was inside must have leaked into the soil and contaminated the pond,” Chris stated.

“It’s a miracle no human got infected.” For Claire, it was a small victory. “How did it end up here?”

“Maybe it was helicoptered and they lost it or they hid it here until they could retrieve it again but… The company collapsed, years passed, and the site grew bigger…” Chris ventured a guess. “With Umbrella, it could be a lot of things…”

“Their trial is still ongoing,” Claire said. “But no matter the reason, we need to clean up their mess.”

“We will,” Chris assured her.

After their discovery, Luna shut down the site to prevent any accident; a decision that displeased the director of the sand mine greatly.

* * *

The next morning, after meeting with Luna’s supervisor, Claire went back to the base to discuss a plan of action.

“We need to drain the pond first.” Chris declared, pointing at the map on Luna’s desk.

“What should we do with all the water?” Claire asked.

“We’ll put it in a temporary storage,” Chris answered.

“I…” Luna stopped talking when the sound of a chopper filled the air.

Claire looked at the officer. “Are you expecting someone important?”

Luna shook her head. “No.”

“What about you?” Claire looked at her brother who also shook his head.

“Let me ask.” Luna was reaching for her radio to ask what was going on when a man entered the tent.

“First you don’t answer my texts, and now this…” Leon said as greeting.

“Leon?!” Claire turned to her brother and asked quietly. “Did you call him?”

Chris frowned. “No.”

“I did.” The director of the mine suddenly appeared next to Leon.

Claire glared at him. “We told you we would take care of the problem.”

“I can’t have my mine shut down for months. The US government assured me that they would work quickly and discreetly.”

“Seriously?” Claire couldn’t believe that man went behind their back. From the corner of her eye, she could see Luna talking on the phone.

“I’m sorry Claire but I’m taking over,” Leon announced.

“What? No!” Claire did all the big work with Luna and Chris but the moment the government showed up, they were dismissed, typical. “Let us help at least!”

Leon shook his head. “I appreciate the work you’ve done but I have orders.”

“Unbelievable.” Claire raised her hands up in frustration. She turned to Luna to see if there was anything she could do, after all, her boss was the one who contacted TerraSave.

“It's out of our hands…” The officer smiled apologetically.

“Fine.” Claire sighed. “Good luck, then.” While Luna talked with the agents, Claire gathered her things and left the tent, followed by Chris. “I’m sorry.” She apologized to her brother once they were far enough from the tent. “You traveled all the way here for nothing.”

“It wasn’t for nothing, we found the source of the infection,” Chris assured her. “And you did a good job too.”

“Well, I was hoping for a promotion after that but I guess I can kiss it goodbye.” Claire knew she was still new to the organization but she wanted to prove herself.

Chris squeezed her shoulder in comfort. “You’ll have other opportunities to prove your worth, don’t worry.”

“I know, I guess I want to run before I can walk.” Claire joked.

“Some things never change.” Chris shook his head fondly.

“Do you want to stick around for a bit? We could visit the area.” Claire offered.

“I would love to but I’m supposed to meet Jill for another mission.” Chris stopped walking.

Claire chuckled. “You never stop.”

“No rest for the wicked.” Chris smiled.

“Do you need a ride? Let me ask an officer or…” Claire smiled mischievously. “You could steal Leon’s chopper!”

Chris laughed. “I don’t think it would end well so let’s just ask an officer.”

Claire helped her brother find a ride and said goodbye to him with a promise to meet again soon. As she waved at Chris, someone approached behind her.

“Claire,” Leon called.

“Leon.” Claire sighed. “I know what you’re about to say but, honestly, I was just doing my job.”

“I know. They told me. You did great. Not that I’m surprised, but… Thank you. ” Leon gave her a small smile. “How are you?”

“Fine. How are you?” Claire had ignored a couple of his texts and now things felt awkward. She couldn’t hold a grudge forever so maybe it was time to let it go.

“I’m good, thank you.” Leon opened his mouth to talk but an agent called his attention. “I have to go but… try to answer my texts next time.”

Claire saluted. “Will do, Agent Kennedy.” She smiled to let him know she wasn’t mad at him for doing his job.

* * *

Since Claire was done with her job in Canada, she booked a plane ticket to go back home the next day. When she called her boss to debrief, the woman told her she had received a call from Mr. Trembley. The Inspector had praised her work and thanked Terrasave for their help. It was good to hear and it was also a sign that her mission wasn’t a complete failure after all.

The next afternoon, Luna drove her to the airport. After Claire did her check-in, they thanked each other and the officer gave her a quick hug goodbye.

“If you ever come back in the area, give me a call, I’ll give you a tour.” Luna winked. “And if there is a special someone in your life, I promise I’ll keep it friendly.”

Claire laughed. “Alice is just a friend.” She wasn’t expecting that. Luna was pretty and nice and if her life were different, perhaps Claire would have accepted her offer but… Right now, she had too much on her plate. “I’ll keep that in mind, though.”

It was only when Claire sat on the plane that she realized her brain automatically thought of Alice when Luna mentioned a special someone. She groaned, hoping the feeling would go away soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the late update, I turned 30 last week and I was busy celebrating. I sometimes did the proofreading after a few glasses of champagne because I didn’t want to make you wait any longer, so I apologize in advance for the mistakes. Let me know what you think!

Claire hesitated for two weeks before agreeing to go on a bike ride with Alice but in the end, she had more fun than she’d had in a while. After that, they started having dinner together regularly.

After a particularly nice evening, Claire didn’t feel like going home yet so she asked Alice if she wanted to go bowling. The woman accepted right away. Claire could tell Alice didn’t want their evening to end either. They usually parted ways early but lately, their meetups tended to last longer. Claire tried not to question it too much because she knew it would complicate things.

As they played bowling, Alice kept touching Claire, grazing her arm, or stroking her back. Claire did her best not to lean into the touch. They were friends now and Claire didn’t want to jeopardize that just because her libido was acting up. Once their game was over, Claire decided to call it a night. She hugged Alice goodbye and rushed back to her car before doing something stupid.

* * *

A week later, Alice invited Claire to a gun show a few towns over. It wasn’t really Claire’s scene but it was a good excuse to get out of town.

Apparently, Alice was looking for a particular vintage shotgun. When the woman found her Zabala Double Barrel, she explained why she needed it. “There’s an old west myth about a man running out of ammo and loading a shell with dimes to kill his opponent. I want to try and see if it really works or if it’s just something Hollywood came up with.”

Claire snorted. “We live in America, I don’t think you’re going to run out of ammo any time soon.”

Alice shrugged. “Who knows?”

“Is that what you do in your free time?” Claire asked in amusement. “Playing with guns.”

“We all have our hobbies,” Alice smirked. “What’s yours?”

“Not that for sure,” Claire answered, chuckling. “But I want to see the mess you’re going to make when you’ll try.”

Alice tutted. “So little faith.”

Since it was still early when they left the event, they decided to go for a drink. They ended up in a bar that reminded Claire of an old bikers’ lair she had stopped once on her way to Raccoon City. The place had definitely seen better days but it was okay. They ordered drinks, picking songs on the jukebox, and talking, laughing, and flirting. The flirting wasn’t anything new but it had escalated a lot in the past couple of weeks.

When Alice excused herself to use the restroom, a man decided to approach Claire at her table.

“Hey, beautiful.” The man smiled. He was tall, with brown hair and a side fringe. “I was wondering if I could buy you a drink.”

Claire forced a smile. “I’m good, thanks.”

“Something to eat then?” The man sat down in the now-empty seat opposite hers.

Claire sighed. Back when she was still partying, she hated it when men were coming up to her, trying to engage in a conversation she had no interest in. You would think a simple no would be enough but she guessed some things never changed. “Again, I’m good. I’m with my friend so if you could…”

The man made a sad face. “You sure?”

“You’re in my seat.” Alice declared as she reached the table. She glanced at Claire to make sure she was okay then focused on the man.

“Sorry.” The man stood up. “Can I buy you both a drink then?” He smiled at Alice.

Claire scoffed. “Dude, seriously?”

“We’re not interested so you can leave.” Alice stood there, not moving.

“You could ask nicely, with a little smile.” The man winked.

Alice chuckled darkly. “Sure.” She quickly kicked him behind the knee and pined his upper body against the table, putting pressure on his arm. “What about now? Am I nice enough?”

The man yelped in pain. “You crazy bitch!”

Claire watched the scene with wide eyes. She knew the moment she heard Alice’s dark tone that the man was in trouble but seeing Alice subdue him so effortlessly was impressive, and maybe a bit of a turn-on. Okay, it was definitely time for her to stop drinking but first, she needed to de-escalate the situation. She reached out and gently touched Alice’s arm. “Alice, I think he got the message.” She leaned back to look at the man. “Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, sorry. Please, let me go!” The man cried. Alice let go and he scrambled away toward the exit.

Alice chuckled at the sight then saw Claire’s expression. “What?”

“Aren’t we supposed to lie low?” Claire arched an eyebrow.

“We’re not fugitives. Besides,” Alice smirked. “I did ask nicely.”

Claire laughed. “I don’t want to see what it’s like when you’re not nice then.” She realized the whole bar was looking at them so she grabbed Alice’s hand and led her outside.

* * *

Time hadn’t stopped while they were inside the bar and it was now too late to hit the road. They looked for a hotel but most of them were full due to the gun show. They ended up in a small motel outside of town with only one room left. They would have to share.

As they made their way to the room, hand in hand, Claire noticed a young boy alone in the parking lot. It was dark so she decided to check on him. He was staring at the vending machine. “Hey buddy, are you alright?”

“Yeah… That stupid thing ate my money.” The boy explained, kicking the machine in frustration.

“Are you staying at the motel?” When the boy nodded, Claire continued. “I’m gonna help you but you should got back to your room after that, okay?” She pulled out a dollar bill from her pocket. “What do you want?” She looked where he pointed at before sliding the bill into the machine. “There’s a trick, look.” She pressed the correct number then pushed the side of the machine three times with her shoulder. Two snacks fell. She grabbed them and offered them to the boy. “Here.”

“Thank you, ma’am!” The boy smiled.

“You’re welcome.” Claire winked at him. “Now, back to your room!” She watched him go as she made her way back to Alice. The woman had a small smile on her face, one that Claire had never seen before. “What?”

“Nothing!” Alice raised her hands innocently, restraining her smile.

“Liar!” Claire bumped her shoulder playfully as they started walking again.

“You’re great with kids,” Alice stated.

Claire shrugged. “I do my best.”

They stopped in front of their room. Alice unlocked the door then gave the key to Claire. 

Claire stepped inside and studied the room. It wasn’t great but it would have to do for one night. Her eyes fell on the bed, it was a double. Shit. She turned around to look at Alice. “So… Left side or right side?”

Alice was still outside, leaning against the door frame. “Don’t worry, I can sleep in the car.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Claire moved to stand in front of her.

Alice shrugged. “Trust me, I had worse.”

“We have a long ride tomorrow, you need a proper night's rest.” This self-sacrificing side of Alice was new to Claire but totally unnecessary. It was endearing though, not that she was planning on telling her. “Come on, stay.” Claire took Alice’s hand and pulled her closer with more force than she had intended. Alice put her hands on Claire’s hips to steady herself. Their faces were now just inches apart. “Alice…” Claire breathed out. This was dangerous territory. The attraction had grown stronger as they became closer and Claire’s self-restraint was about to break. She knew that if they kissed, if they crossed that line, everything would change and probably not for the better.

Alice seemed to hesitate too, searching Claire’s eyes for a confirmation. “Claire?” It was a question, like it was up to Claire to take it further or not.

The look of want on Alice’s face was enough for Claire to throw caution to the wind. She would have to face the consequences later but right now, she wanted Alice. Months of flirting had led to this particular moment. She crashed her lips against Alice’s, the kiss was fierce and hungry. She felt hands on her thighs, lifting her up so she wrapped her legs around Alice’s waist. Alice pushed her against the door to close it and Claire moaned. “Fuck…”

Alice pulled away from Claire’s mouth to paint a trail of kisses down her jaw toward her neck. Then she stopped. “Are you sure?” She asked breathlessly.

“God, yes!” Claire nodded vigorously. She was past the point of stopping and honestly, she didn’t want to.

Alice smirked before taking Claire to the bed.

* * *

The next morning, Claire and Alice were cuddled up in bed with Claire tracing the scar on Alice’s shoulder. “Where did you get that scar?”

“I was mugged,” Alice said nonchalantly.

“Seriously?” Claire lifted her head from Alice’s shoulder. “But you…”

“Have a black belt in martial arts? Yes.” Alice finished for her. “You should have seen the other guy, though.” She winked.

“Not what I was going to say, but good to know.” Claire chuckled, settling back against Alice. “How old were you?”

Alice sighed. “Young.”

“It must have been painful.” Claire sympathized. She had never been stabbed and hoped it would stay that way but her little trip to Raccoon City left her with her own ugly scars.

“Yeah, it hurt like hell,” Alice exclaimed. “It took forever to heal too. For weeks, I could barely use my arm.”

Claire caressed her arm all the way to her hand. “And you’re left-handed, double penalty.”

“Well, now I’m ambidextrous.” Alice shrugged. “It still hurts sometimes.”

“When it rains? Like old people.” Claire joked.

Alice pinched Claire’s side. “Ass.”

“Didn’t hear you complain about it last night!” Claire laughed before pulling away and leaving the bed. “Come on, we should get ready.”

* * *

An hour later, they were on their way back home, the radio as background noise. They hadn’t talked about what happened the night before yet, but Claire knew it was something they should do.

“So… last night, huh?” Claire started, not really knowing how to continue. She didn’t want to make things awkward.

“Yes,” Alice smirked.

Claire stared at her. Alice had clearly decided to let her do the talking and she was going to enjoy watching Claire struggle with it. “It was… good.”

Alice chuckled, glancing at Claire. “Good?”

“Great!” Claire groaned. She had never been shy when it came to her sex life but she didn’t want the conversation to turn sour.

“We had fun,” Alice spoke, taking pity on her. “It doesn’t have to be a thing.”

Alice was offering Claire an out but it almost felt too easy. “That’s it?” Claire raised an eyebrow.

“I mean, I’m not against a repeat but…” Alice’s smile was downright filthy.

“You’re terrible.” Claire slapped her arm playfully before turning serious. “I just don’t want to complicate things…”

“I get it.” Alice reached out and squeezed Claire’s knee to show she meant it before focusing back on the road.

* * *

Claire and Alice had, in fact, several repeats. It was never planned, just one thing leading to another and the next thing they knew, they were in bed together. They hadn’t put a label on what they were. Claire wasn’t even sure what she was doing but Alice had mentioned once, in passing, that she wasn’t seeing anyone else.

It was never easy to meet either. They were always meeting somewhere out of town, away from anyone who could know them. Claire felt like she was having a secret affair, which was not too far from the truth. Her job kept her busy most of the time and since Chris and Jill were once again away on a mission, the little free time she had was spent with Alice. She hadn’t been able to see Sherry for a couple of weeks now but thanks to Alice, they had exchanged a few letters. The trust had grown between them and even if Sherry was still with Simmons, Claire knew Alice was taking some risks to maintain the contact with the girl.

Claire was surprised when, a few days later, Alice invited her to her place. Claire knew that if someone were to see them together, it would be hard to deny any connection. She didn’t think it was worth the risk but Alice insisted, telling her that she would be fine if she just followed the itinerary she had sent her.

Claire arrived at Alice’s apartment earlier than planned. She thought they could just eat together and watch a movie instead of meeting for a late-night chat. She knocked on the door and waited. Alice seemed surprised to see her. “Hey!”

“Claire!” Alice smiled but didn’t step away from the door to let her in. “You’re early…”

“Sorry, is this a bad time?” Claire frowned. “I had a long day and thought I’d surprise you with some take-out.” She showed her the bag of food. “I don’t wanna go home late but I can come back later if…” She trailed off. She wasn’t expecting a big hearty welcome, but even by Alice’s standards, it was lukewarm.

“No, no, come in. I was just working.” Alice moved out of the way and walked toward the coffee table, quickly gathering all the papers into one pile. “Make yourself at home, I’ll be right back.” She said before disappearing into a room.

Claire’s frown deepened. Alice’s smile was definitely off and seeing how swiftly the woman had put away her work, it was clear that she wasn’t supposed to show up so soon. Well, she was here now so it was too late. She put the food on the coffee table and looked around the apartment. It was bigger than hers but with very few furniture or personal items.

“Sorry, I’m all yours,” Alice announced when she joined her back. “What did you bring?” She opened the bag and took a peek inside.

“Chinese.” Claire grabbed the first take-out box and handed it to Alice before taking hers.

“Good.” Alice switched the TV on and skipped through the channels until she stopped on a movie about spring break.

They started eating in silence. Claire didn’t comment on the movie at first, too busy analyzing Alice’s welcome but a particular scene brought her back to the present. “Oh my God, they’re so dumb! It’s hard to watch.”

Alice chuckled. “They’re young, I’m sure you did some stupid things when you were their age.”

“No,” Claire snorted. “For starters, I know you should stay away from a bottle of Everclear.”

“Speaking from experience?” Alice arched an eyebrow.

“No, from the perspective of someone who had to clean up the mess after a friend thought ‘he could handle it’.” Claire could stomach a lot of things, but that day, her limits were tested.

Alice laughed. “So you don’t miss it, going out with friends? I mean, you’re still young...” Her phone vibrated on the table but she declined the call.

“We pretty much lost contact as soon as I graduated from college. It wasn’t the same after I left Brooklyn and transferred here to be closer to Sherry. And now I’m working so...” Claire was glad for the question because it gave her the opportunity to ask hers. “What about you? You’re not old either, I’m sure you have friends that can take you to a club or maybe some family members you can have dinner with?”

“Not really.”

Claire nodded. Once again, Alice was revealing as little about herself as possible and it was starting to annoy her. Alice didn’t owe her anything but even small things people would share with acquaintances seemed difficult to obtain from her. Claire went back to the movie and finished her food.

20 minutes later, Alice received another call and excused herself. Claire cleared the coffee table and went to the kitchen. She opened the trashcan and threw the takeout boxes but the lid refused to close. With a sigh, she rolled up her sleeve and squished the whole thing. When she removed her hand, she had a piece of paper stuck on it. “Urgh, gross.” She took it and noticed it had traces of burning. Intrigued, she looked closer and recognized her name on it. “What the fuck?” She murmured. She leaned toward the door to see if Alice was coming back then she plunged her hand back and pulled out several pieces of torn paper, all burned and redacted. She could only decipher a few words and names but it was enough to raise alarm bells. She put the pieces back in the trash and washed her hands, quickly making her way back to the living room.

Alice joined her soon after. “Sorry, it was work.”

“It’s okay,” Claire stood up from the couch. “I think I should go anyway.”

“Already?”

“Yeah,” Claire forced a smile, fighting the need to demand answers. “I’m tired and I have to work early tomorrow.”

“You can sleep here if you want.” Alice seemed to interpret Claire’s expression the wrong way because she rushed to add. “We don’t have to do anything, we can just sleep. You can even take the guest room if you prefer.”

Claire couldn’t believe the nerve of that woman but she had to admit, Alice was a terrific liar. Alice was still pretending to care about her wellbeing while possibly plotting for her death. “I prefer my bed, no offense.”

Alice chuckled. “None taken.” She gave Claire a quick, chaste kiss on the lips before leading her toward the front door. “Have a good night.”

“You too.” Claire went down the stairs, walking slowly until she was sure Alice couldn’t see her then she rushed outside. Once inside her car, she cursed, slamming her head against the wheel. She had been royally fucked in every sense of the word…

* * *

A week later, Claire was getting ready for her ‘date’ with Alice. She had accepted the invitation despite the risks. Her need for answers was stronger than the danger. Since things were still rocky with Leon, she had asked her brother to gather information on Alice via his contacts. She didn’t mention any particular reason except for the fact that the woman was sometimes looking after Sherry and she wanted to know if she was trustworthy. The file Claire had on Alice was way too clean not to be suspect. She couldn’t believe she had let herself be charmed by Alice and her fake empathy. 

Alice picked her up at 7 PM and drove them to a restaurant out of town where they had eaten a few times already. Not having her own means of transport wasn’t ideal but she was afraid it would look suspicious if she insisted too much on taking her own car.

Claire kept up the appearances during dinner, asking innocent questions about her date’s past. The answers fitted the file like a well-rehearsed speech, too automatic to feel genuine. When they left the restaurant, she took Alice’s hand in hers, tugging her toward the car. The movement opened Alice’s jacket a bit more and she noticed the gun underneath. It explained why Alice had kept it even after they had sat down.

Claire glanced at Alice, her guard seemed down enough to test her theory. She had noticed her former roommate’s name on the burned documents she had found but she had never mentioned her. Now, she was going to pretend that she did. She cleared her throat. “I feel like I’m back in college.”

“Why?” Alice questioned.

“Well, I haven’t really done the whole dating thing since then.” Claire shrugged. “Not that we’re dating.”

Alice chuckled. “Looks like you still got it!”

“I was going out a lot back then, with the same group of people and one time, Elza, you remember Elza?” Claire continued.

Alice frowned. “Should I?”

“Yes, I told you about her a while ago.” Claire insisted. “I didn’t think you had such a poor memory or are you not paying attention when I’m talking?”

“I do pay attention,” Alice affirmed.

“Then who was she?” Claire raised an eyebrow. She saw a hint of hesitation in Alice’s eyes and knew she was on the right track. That was the thing with lies, when you made up so many, at some point, it was impossible to keep track of them all, and why would such an innocent detail of her life raise the red flag.

“Huh, a friend?” Alice tried and then, when she saw Claire stare, she added. “Your roommate? An Ex?”

Here it was. A friend was an easy guess but roommate and ex, not so much, especially when she had never talked about her before. “Yes!” They were in the parking lot now, close to Alice’s car. Claire looked around to make sure they were alone then pulled Alice closer, hugging her. She murmured in her ear. “You’re so full of shit!” She stepped away, swiftly stealing Alice’s gun and aiming it at her. “Unbelievable!”

Alice took a step backward with a deep frown on her face. “Claire?”

“Oh, cut the crap!” Claire rolled her eyes. “I know you’re lying! I’ve never told you about Elza.”

“Lucky guess?”

“Please.” Claire scoffed. “And here I thought my first impression about you was wrong but turns out I was right. You want to know why? Because I did some digging, and apparently, your life is as clean as a newborn baby. Care to explain?”

Alice stood there, calm, and collected. “It’s not what you think.”

Claire shook her head. Even if it was a lucky guess - which she was sure it wasn’t - Alice wasn’t even trying to deny anything. “Really? Because I really feel like you’ve been playing with me. What I can’t understand though, is why? Because of Sherry? Because I survived Raccoon City? Because of my brother? You know things about me that you shouldn’t and before you try to feed me another lie, I need to tell you that I found the burned documents in your trashcan…” 

Alice sighed. “It’s a long story…”

“Lucky for you, my plan for the evening just got canceled.” When Alice stayed silent, Claire put the gun against the woman’s side. “Talk!”

“Not here,” Alice glanced around. “Let’s go to your place and…”

“Do you think I’m stupid?” Claire cut her off. “I’m not letting you take me to another location so you can throw me in a ditch.”

“Claire…” Alice sighed when Claire refused to move. “At least get in the car. You can even go behind the wheel if it makes you feel safer.”

Claire bit her lip, pondering her options. “I…”

“I won’t try anything,” Alice promised.

“I’ll be the judge of that. Get in!” Claire ordered. Once in the car, she motioned for Alice to start talking.

“What I’m about to say might change everything,” Alice warned.

Claire stared at her in anger. “It’s a bit too late for that.”

“I’m just giving you an out,” Alice said, keeping her voice even. “If you don’t want to see me again, I will respect that and just disappear.”

Claire frowned. “What are you? FBI, CIA, Secret Services? Because you clearly knew who I was when we met.”

Alice looked into Claire’s eyes. “I used to work for Umbrella as a Security Operative.”

“You lying bastard…” Claire put the gun in front of Alice’s head. “So you are spying on me because of what happened in Raccoon City!”

“No.” Alice raised her hands. “Please, hear me out.”

“Why should I?” Claire barked.

“Because I want you to know who I really am,” Alice answered, lowering her hands.

Claire shook her head in disdain. “Like I can believe you now.”

“You might have the gun but I still have one on me and a knife. Even without any weapons, I can see several ways I could hurt you or kill you right now with little effort just by using the small space of the car to my advantage.” Alice stated. “I could have disarmed you a long time ago but I didn’t, because I’m not working for anyone. I started talking to you because I wanted to and the last thing I want right now is to hurt you. I just want to explain.”

Claire held her gun tighter and unconsciously moved closer to the door. She stared at Alice without a word until she saw her lean toward her boot. “Don’t even try!”

“I just want to give you my knife.” Alice pointed at her shoe. “It’s in my boot and the other gun is in my pocket.” She thumbed toward her jacket. “Take them if it can make you feel better.”

“If you can still strangle me with the seatbelt, I don’t see how it can make me feel better but since you’re offering.” Claire carefully reached out and took the knife and the gun.

Alice chuckled. “It would be way too long.”

“Son of…” Claire glared at her. “Seriously?”

“I…”

“Don’t, keep talking,” Claire commanded.

“Not long before the Raccoon City incident, I discovered a mole in our lab, Lisa, who was trying to expose Umbrella's bio-weapons research. She wasn’t the first. A month before the incident, we caught several spies but she was the only one who had a chance and a real motive.” Alice informed her. “She wanted revenge for her friend’s death, caused by the company and… It doesn’t matter. She died before she could share her information.”

“You killed her.”

“No, I helped her. She was the closest thing I had to a friend.” Alice corrected her. “I told her what I knew but before we could come up with a plan, my partner found out what we were doing and he killed her. On the day of the incident, he knocked me out and left me there in my office. I discovered later that he had planned to steal a vial of the virus so he could sell it on the black market.” She shook her head in disgust. “He betrayed me for money.”

Claire’s eyebrows arched in surprise. “Why would you help Lisa?”

“I helped her because things were getting out of control. Scientists were playing with a virus they barely knew how to handle, testing it on animals before it was even stable and the CEOs of Umbrella kept fighting each other, always asking for more results at any cost. I did some bad things for them but they were crossing the line and putting a lot of people in danger. I couldn’t let them continue.”

“Why didn’t you expose them yourself?” Claire questioned.

“It was too late,” Alice said dejectedly. “By the time I woke up, someone had spread the virus and there was nothing I could do but flee.”

“What happened to the man who betrayed you?” Claire inquired. It was a lot to process but she had so many questions.

“Spencer was his name, and I killed him,” Alice stated without emotion. “He wasn’t able to get his hand on the virus, at least, not in a vial. I found him when I was leaving the facility, wounded and infected. Just pathetic…”

“You left and then what?”

“I went back to my apartment, packed my things and I left. I was already far away when I realized the virus had spread in all Raccoon City.”

“But you’re here now, working for the government.” Claire pointed out. “They must know you were working for Umbrella.”

Alice snorted. “You’d be surprised by how many government officials were bribed by Umbrella. They even had official business together so it’s safe to say the government knew what was going on behind closed doors.”

“You can’t be serious,” Claire said in a hush.

“I am. I only met one of them but it was enough. I tracked him down and we made a deal. He would give me a clean identity if I worked for him, making sure no one finds out about his connections. He was more than happy to take my offer. It was a way to keep an eye on him and also obtain more information about what happened in Raccoon City…”

“Wait, wait, wait, you’re working for Simmons, does it mean he’s…” Claire slammed her hand against the wheel. “Fucking piece of shit, I knew it…”

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t care about your sorry,” Claire snapped. “I want to know why you didn’t try to take him down years ago.”

“He’s not just a government official,” Alice explained calmly. “He’s the leader of a dangerous organization that could make us all disappear if…”

“I don’t give a flying fuck!” Claire raised her voice.

“Claire…”

“Alice, he’s Sherry’s guardian! God knows what he’s doing to her with all his tests. He has to be stopped!”

“We will stop him!” Alice assured her. “I have a plan but you need to be patient and…”

“We? What we? There’s no we!” Claire snarled. “I can’t even… I trusted you! I’m so… urgh…”

“I’m sorry. I really…” Alice reached out but Claire pushed her hand away.

“Save it! I’m gonna find Sherry and I’ll get her out of whatever lab he locked her in. I’ll blow the whole damn place if I have to.” Claire threw the door and got out of the car.

“Where are you going? Claire, I drove you here!” Alice was about to follow but Claire leaned back inside the car.

Claire dropped the weapons on the driver’s seat. “I asked someone to pick me up when we left the restaurant. Like I said, I’m not stupid.”

“Claire…”

“You know, if you had been honest with me from the start, I might have understood. But now, all I can think about is how you used me for whatever pitiful scheme you’re playing.” Claire’s emotions were all over the place but she had to hold herself together.

“I didn’t use you! I genuinely wanted to help you and Sherry. I took a risk getting involved with you when…”

“Well, that makes two of us.” Claire interrupted. “If anything happens to Sherry because of this, I’ll hold you responsible.” Claire slammed the door shut and ran back toward the restaurant where Jill was waiting for her.

* * *

Claire reached Jill’s car and opened the passenger door. “Hey. Thanks for picking me up!” She plopped down on the seat.

Jill smiled. “No problem.” Claire slammed the door and sighed. Jill chuckled. “Jeez, that bad, huh?”

“You have no idea.”

“Wanna talk about it?” Jill started the car and drove off.

Claire shook her head. “Not really...” She wiped a tear that had started to make its way down her face. She felt silly for being so upset. They weren’t really dating but she was starting to think that maybe, once Simmons was out of the picture, they could give it a try. The worst part was that she had trusted Alice with Sherry and she was angry with herself for that.

Jill glanced at her and frowned. “Should I be worried?”

“I’m fine,” Claire assured her. “I just need a minute…”

“Okay.”

After a moment of silence, Claire asked. “Could you, please, not say anything to Chris?” She hadn’t said much to Jill when she texted her, only that her date was a bust and she needed a ride. If her brother got wind of it, he would press for details she didn’t want to give.

“Sure.” Without looking, Jill opened the glove compartment and grabbed a cd. She put it in the radio and the music started filling the car.

Claire slowly smiled when she recognized the melody of ‘Made in Heaven’ by Queen. “God, I love you sometimes.”

“Only sometimes?” Jill pretended to be hurt before they both laughed. “Come on, sing your heart out, babe.”

They both sang along, laughing at how out of key they were. When Jill stopped in front of her building, Claire thanked her again.

“Do you want me to stay?” Jill offered. “We can talk about how dating sucks and men are useless or you know, how women can take you on terrible dates too… Or we could just watch a movie.” 

Claire chuckled. “A movie sounds nice.”

Once inside Claire’s apartment, Jill settled on the couch, looking for something to watch while Claire opened a bottle of wine. Thirty minutes in the movie, Claire asked. “Do you think our parents would be proud of us?” She was thinking about her parents a lot lately. What they would have thought of her life, her job, her terrible taste in women… Her mom would have loved Sherry and it pained her to know that they would never be able to meet. She knew she should talk to Chris about it but she didn’t want to bring up painful memories and make him feel bad for not being around as much as he wanted to.

“One of my parents is in prison and the other is, who knows?” Jill rolled her eyes. “Probably, back in Japan with her family...” She sighed. “So my situation is a bit different from yours.”

“Sometimes I wonder what’s worse.” Claire mused out loud. “Dead parents who, when they were alive, loved you and cared for you or parents who are alive and well, but just…”

“Terrible? Absent?” Jill offered. “I don’t know. I guess, relatively speaking, dad isn’t so bad. He told me once in a letter that he was glad I was working on the right side of the law.” She chuckled. “I don’t think zombie killer is on the top of parents’ list of dream jobs for their kid but we’re doing something good. Your brother and I by cleaning up the mess Umbrella made and you, by making things all better afterward.” She squeezed Claire’s arm. “I’m sure your parents would be proud of you. I know Chris is and so am I.” She smirked. “You’ve come a long way since the time you were watching your brother and I spar. You were a stuttering, stammering mess every time I tried to talk to you.”

“Oh my god,” Claire groaned. Of course, Jill would try to lighten the mood with one of her most embarrassing moments. “I was a 17 years old figuring herself out and you were, you know…” She flailed her arm aimlessly. “Pulling all those moves…”

Jill laughed. “So you thought I was hot?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“Please don’t…” Claire hid her face in her hands. “It’s so embarrassing!”

“I see it as a compliment and I’m honored to…” Jill wasn’t able to finish, laughing as Claire kept hitting her with a cushion.

“Shut up!” Claire smacked Jill’s face with the cushion one more time for good measure. “I don’t see you like that anymore,” She insisted. “You’re a big sister to me; that would be gross.” She made a face.

“Still, being so appreciated by the Redfield siblings makes me feel like I did something right,” Jill said with a small smile.

“Well, for what it’s worth, we’re also proud of you…” Claire smiled. “Thank you for being here.”

“Anytime.” Jill pulled Claire closer so she could curl up against her side.

Claire sighed in content. Jill wasn’t one for platitudes or heartfelt speeches but she was a soothing presence, happy to give to a lucky few the comfort they needed.

They spent the rest of the night watching silly movies and laughing. After a while, they fell asleep on the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N 2: I can see Claire being a young gay mess when she met Jill for the first time (who wouldn’t?). Back then, Jill called her babe to fluster her but now, she uses it in a fondly way.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The second part of this chapter is from Alice’s POV. It will happen now and then in the future so we can explore Alice’s journey too. I try not to use “head-hopping” too much because it’s Claire’s story more than anything but sometimes you have to. It’s often half-half, not one person than the other, then back to another one.

When Claire came home the next day, she found a big envelope on her doorstep. After removing her jacket and shoes, she sat on the couch and opened it. It was full of pictures and documents about her life: what car she drove, where she worked, where she shopped, who she spent time with and a lot of other things. There was also a letter from Alice. She read it.

_‘Claire,_

_I know you don’t care about my apology so I won’t bother you with it. I just wanted to give you the files I have on you. I destroyed the rest but I guess you already know that since you found the pieces in the trash. Simmons requested a report on you when you started to be too insistent regarding Sherry. I quickly realized you were just an innocent pawn in his sick game so I stopped looking. I gave him a report full of false information but with just enough truth to make it believable._

_I wasn’t able to help Lisa but I thought I could help you and Sherry. I know I can save her and I won’t fail this time. I will take Simmons down, even if it means going down with him._

_I’ve never meant to hurt you. What happened between us was never planned but it was real nonetheless. I’m not looking for an excuse, but I did what I did to protect you._

_Alice.’_

Claire stared at the letter for a moment. She didn’t know what to do with it. She was calmer now and she had some time to process the whole conversation they had in the car. It was clear that, without Alice, she had no way to help Sherry, especially if Simmons had some secret supports in and out of the government.

She grabbed all the documents and stood up, making her way to the kitchen. She threw them in the sink and grabbed a lighter, setting the pile of papers on fire. What was she supposed to do now?

* * *

The answer came a few days later when Claire received a call from Alice. At first, she declined it. She wasn’t in the mood to hear another apology. But then, Alice texted her that it was about Sherry so she reluctantly called back, putting her anger aside for the girl’s sake.

Simmons was moving Sherry into a new house. The tip came from Alice’s contact since Simmons was now keeping her at arm's length. It was the opportunity they were both waiting for and it might be the only one. It was supposed to happen the next day. Simmons was also scheduled to be there and Alice was going to make sure he wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone ever again. She just needed Claire to be ready to meet her afterward so she could pick up Sherry.

Claire listened silently until she realized Alice was planning on going alone. “I won’t wait for you anywhere, Alice, because I’m coming with you.”

_“Claire, no.”_

“If things go wrong, you need someone to be there and protect Sherry.” Claire pointed out. 

_“It’s too dangerous.” Alice insisted._

“That’s why it’s not a one woman’s mission,” Claire argued. “And frankly, you owe me at least that much.”

_Alice stayed silent for a moment. “Fine.” She sighed. “We should go as soon as it’s dark. I’ll text you when it’s time.”_

* * *

Claire and Alice were on a stake-out, watching the house Sherry was supposed to be in from their car. Alice had parked far enough away not to attract unwanted attention. The house had nothing special, it was the last one on the street, standing a bit setback from the road and in the middle of a residential area in development.

“Are you sure this is the right place? It looks so, I don’t know…” Claire trailed off. ‘Clean, normal, fake’, she didn’t know how to finish her sentence but Simmons didn’t really strike her as the poster child of suburban life.

“I checked. The house was bought a week ago and there was still a moving truck parked outside yesterday.” Alice informed her. “It backs up what my contact said.”

Claire didn’t even know who Alice’s contact was, if it was a man, a woman, someone she knew for a while or if she paid them. She was completely relying on Alice and after what happened between them, it annoyed her. “Can we trust them?” Claire didn’t like to go blind into a situation, especially when it was dangerous but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

Alice shrugged. "Can we really trust anyone?”

“I think we can, actually,” Claire argued a bit more forcefully than necessary. “If you find the right people, you just know they’ll always have your back no matter what.”

“Is that another jab at what I did?” Alice raised a questioning eyebrow.

“It wasn’t but if the shoe fits…” Claire knew it was neither the time nor the place to settle scores so she didn’t continue.

“Listen,” Alice sighed. “I know you hate my guts right now but for this to work, I need you to listen to me and watch my back. Can you do that?”

Claire didn't really hate her. It was just easier to pretend that she did, easier than facing whatever else she was feeling. “Yes.”

“There’s a pretty good chance it’s a trap,” Alice stated, reaching into the back seat to grab a bag. She set it on her lap and opened it to reveal a small arsenal.

“That’s not reassuring, at all.” Claire was aware that it could be a ploy to lure them here but what other choice did she have? It might be her last chance to save Sherry so there was no turning back.

Alice grabbed a handgun and handed it to Claire. “You can still wait here and I’ll…”

“Not a chance.” Claire cut her off, taking the gun. She glanced at the house. “The lights are on, should we get in?”

“I don’t see Simmons’ car but yes.” Alice threw her bag on Claire’s lap. “Take whatever you need and then, we can go. Wait…” She reached behind her seat again and pulled out a Kevlar vest. “Put that on under your jacket.”

“What about you?” The question slipped out of Claire’s mouth before she had time to think. She was a caring person, and no matter the grudge she had against Alice, she didn’t want the woman to get hurt.

“I’ll be fine,” Alice assured her.

“Okay.” Claire knew Alice could easily hide her emotions when she wanted to but Claire had noticed the glint in her eyes at the question. It meant that despite everything, Alice hadn’t shut her out, not that it made a difference. She removed her jacket and put the vest on. “Just a heads up, if Simmons is there, I’m going to kill him.” She put her jacket back on.

Alice shook her head. “You’re not that type. Trust me, I know killers. I’ve spent most of my life surrounded by them. You don’t have it in you, at least not in cold blood.”

“I guess we’ll see.” Claire opened the car door and got out. She tucked her gun into her waistband and hid her shotgun under her jacket in case a neighbor was outside. They didn’t need a concerned citizen to call the police before they could do anything.

The women made their way down the street and once they reached the house, Alice asked Claire to stay hidden behind the bushes surrounding the place while she checked the perimeter. When Alice came back, she told Claire she had spotted two men inside. They went around the house and entered by the kitchen, quickly knocking out the two guards.

Claire inspected the room while Alice made sure no one else was on the first floor. She opened a moving box, then another, there were empty, just like the cupboards. She checked the dining room and it was the same, empty boxes and no furniture except for a table and a couple of chairs. “Something’s off.” She glanced at Alice.

“Let’s check upstairs before someone…” Alice was interrupted by several armed guards barging into the house. “Sees us… I should have known.” She noticed a hooded man aiming at Claire and in a swift move, she pulled her behind a wall, resting her body against Claire’s like a shield. She peered through the corner of the wall to see how many there were. She looked at Claire, their faces an inch away. “There are 4 of them, we can manage.” She took a step back and rushed on the other side of the ark that was separating the dining room and the living room they were in. Without a pause, she started shooting at the man closest to her.

Claire followed suit, taking aim with her shotgun at the guard on her left. She shot him in the kneecap and the man fell on the floor, groaning in pain. She did the same with the other guard.

Since her own opponents were dead, Alice grabbed the first man Claire had incapacitated and removed his hood. “Where is Sherry?”

The guard spat at her. “Fuck you!”

The second man Claire hadn’t killed started to move and without looking, Alice shot him in the head. “If you answer my question, you might not end up like your buddy over there.”

Claire took a step back. It was one thing to know Alice had been trained for combat and could kill if necessary, but it was another to witness it. She didn’t feel bad for the man, or any man in the room really, they knew who they were working for but it was still a lot to take in. She couldn’t judge Alice for her actions either, they both did some bad things to help Sherry and there was no point in denying it. They would have to live with their decisions.

Alice noticed movement behind her. She watched as several men encircled them. She reached for her second handgun so she had a weapon in each hand and pointed them at the guards.

“I would think very carefully about my next move if I were you, ladies.” Simmons declared as he stepped into the room. He was holding Sherry in front of him, a gun to her head.

“You son of a bitch!” Claire aimed her gun at him. She quickly scanned Sherry’s body to see if the girl was hurt but she seemed okay, apart from the tears rolling down her face. “This is between you and me, Simmons, let her go!”

Simmons ignored her. “Ms. Abernathy, I was expecting more from you.”

“I would say I’m sorry but…” Alice smirked. “Did Jenkins sell me out?”

“I had my suspicions for a while.” Simmons reached inside his pocket then threw a blooded ID card on the floor. There was a picture of Alice’s contact. “In Jenkins’ defense, I lied to him too.”

“I will take pleasure in killing you,” Alice stated coldly.

“Take their weapons,” Simmons ordered his men.

Alice kicked the man to her right and got ready to do the same with the other but then she heard Sherry cry in pain and stopped. Simmons was violently pulling the girl’s hair. She raised her hands in surrender and quickly, two guards grabbed her, forcing her to kneel down. Alice struggled against their hold until a man punched her in the stomach. She coughed then chuckled. “You call that a punch? I’m sure the kid can hit harder than you.”

“What the fuck, Alice, are you enjoying this?” Claire searched the room for an escape but unlike the last time she had been surrounded by armed men, there was nothing around to blow up. Since she didn’t want to risk Sherry’s life, she decided to hand her weapons to the only guard that wasn’t busy holding Alice.

Simmons focused his attention on Claire. “I have to be honest Miss Redfield, I would have never expected you to fraternize with Alice.”

“That’s because you don’t know me,” Claire told him through gritted teeth.

“Maybe, but I don’t think I’m wrong when I say I have something you want.” Simmons put the gun closer to Sherry’s head.

“Bastard! Claire snarled. The man standing next to her gave her a backhanded slap across the face. She could taste the blood in her mouth but she refused to show her pain. She straightened up, with her jaw set and her hands clenched at her sides. “You’re going to pay for this.”

“Come on now, Miss Redfield,” Simmons tutted. “There is a child in the room, let’s stay courteous.”

“What do you want?” Alice asked him.

“From you? Nothing.” Simmons scoffed. “But I have plans for the future, big plans that don’t include babysitting that girl or chasing after two nobodies. Did you really think I…”

Alice groaned loudly to interrupt him. “Does anyone have a cigarette? I’m really bored now.” She looked at Claire. “Remember our trip to the gun show? Now that was fun, especially the bar part!”

Claire frowned in confusion at first, but when Alice moved her leg a bit, it clicked. Alice wanted her to kick the man next to her like she did with that wanker in the bar. She chuckled, playing along. “It was!”

“Shut up!” Simmons barked, aiming his gun at Claire.

Alice took advantage of Simmons’ shift of focus to stand. She punched the man to her right before lifting the other and throwing him out of the window behind them. A bullet scraped her right arm but she ignored it. She turned around and grabbed another guard, breaking his neck in a swift move.

In the meantime, Claire kicked the guard behind the knee and stole his rifle, knocking him out with it. She looked up and just before Simmons could shoot at Alice again, she shot him in the arm. The man let go of Sherry and held his arm in pain. She rolled and stood up right in front of him. She kicked the gun out of Simmons’ hand before punching him. She searched for Sherry, the girl was standing a few steps behind Simmons, trying to stay out of harm's way. She moved toward Sherry but Simmons grabbed her wrist. She aimed the rifle at him, putting the muzzle right under his chin. She wanted to see him die but Alice was right, it was harder to pull the trigger when Simmons was just standing there, pathetic and unarmed. The hesitation was too long and suddenly, the man who was guarding the door barged into the room. She pushed Simmons toward him to give herself some time and grabbed Sherry’s hand. “Hold on to me.” She said to the girl just before jumping through the large window in front of them. Glass shattered everywhere as they hit the front lawn. Claire stood up painfully, then helped Sherry do the same. She heard a car coming their way. ”For God’s sake, how many are they?!” She glanced behind for a sign of Alice and saw her fighting the guard she had avoided. “Alice, backup’s here, we have to go!” Claire started running toward the car with Sherry and soon after, Alice was joining them.

After cursing Simmons for running away, Alice jumped behind the wheel and drove off at full speed.

* * *

Alice, Claire, and Sherry were hiding in a motel. They had driven for hours and only stopped once they were sure nobody was following them. After taking care of each other’s wounds, the two women started discussing what they should do next while Sherry was taking a nap.

Alice knew they couldn't stay at the same place for more than one night. They needed to move to another state and then another country. Once Claire and Sherry were in a safe place, she could come back and finish the job. She sighed soundly, going on the run was the one thing she wanted to avoid. It wasn’t always easy doing it alone but with two more people, even simple things could get complicated.

At least money wasn’t an issue. Alice’s training for the Secret Services had taught her to always have back up plans. She knew what to do and how to fly under the radar but again, she wasn’t alone. Claire had family and friends, Sherry was under government custody, their disappearance would never go unnoticed, unlike hers. Simmons also had enough resources and manpower to hunt them down for a long time.

“I need to go out and gather supplies,” Alice stated while Claire was wondering aloud if she should call her brother. “And don’t call anyone; it would only put them in danger and compromise us too. I know you also have a job but right now, it’s the weekend so we can worry about it later. I promise I will take you somewhere safe but first thing first, supplies.” She had a small army duffel bag that she always kept packed in her car but it wasn’t enough, especially for three people.

“Are you going alone?” Claire asked.

“Yes, they’re probably looking for you and Sherry more than me. I won’t be long.” Alice looked out the window. The sun was up now and she wanted to hit the stores as soon they opened to avoid the crowd. “Try to get some rest.” She walked to the door and opened it, then turned back to Claire. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours. If you see anything suspicious, call me.” She reached out and squeezed Claire’s shoulder.

Claire pulled her shoulder away from Alice’s hand. “Please don’t… I… I appreciate what you’re doing for us but I haven’t changed my mind. Once this is all over…”

“You don’t want to see me again... I understand.” It hurt but Alice knew she deserved it. People had a habit of dying around her anyway so it was for the best. She nodded and made her way to her car. They were in the middle of nowhere and she needed to drive for at least half an hour to reach the nearest town.

* * *

Once Alice arrived in town, she stopped at the drug store for more first-aid supplies, then she went to the little grocery store. Everything was going well until Alice noticed a Deputy Sheriff enter the store. Every time she moved to another aisle, the man wasn’t far behind. Alice rolled her eyes; he could at least try to be discreet. She paid for her groceries and exited the store. She put everything in the trunk of her car but instead of leaving, she kept walking down the road. She turned in a small street, in between buildings and waited for the Deputy Sheriff to follow. As expected, the man appeared a minute later. She quickly seized him and turned him roughly, pressing his face against the wall. She held his hands behind his back firmly. “Why are you following me? You have exactly five seconds before you stop breathing. Talk!” 

“I just want to talk.” The man said.

“Wrong answer.” Alice grabbed his head with her free hand and slammed it against the brick wall.

The deputy gasped. “I just started last week, please don’t hurt me. I’ll tell you everything.”

“What do you want?” Alice asked again.

“We received a wanted suspect notice last night regarding the assault of a government official. I recognized your license plate. When I went inside the store to investigate, I saw your face matched the picture I had.” The man informed her.

Alice groaned, she needed a new car now. It wouldn’t be easy in that shithole town. “Did you tell anyone?”

“I… yes, when I saw your car. I called dispatch to tell them I was going to investigate, that’s the procedure. Please, you don’t have to kill me, you can just go.” The man begged. “I’ll tell them it was a false alarm. I’m a rookie, they’ll probably laugh about it.”

Alice ignored his cries. She stayed in the store for almost 20 minutes, so it meant Simmons’ goons had a half an hour head-start on her minimum. If they kept looking for them all night and had a chopper, they could arrive any time soon. She knew Simmons was powerful but she would never have thought he would use official means to find them. She needed a plan. “Did they say if they were sending someone from the government?”

“I don’t know.” The deputy answered.

“Then I have no use for you anymore.” Alice slammed his head against the wall to knock him out before he could argue. “Don’t worry, you’ll just wake up with a headache.” She dragged his unconscious body behind a dumpster. She couldn’t go back to the motel and lead Simmons’ men to Claire and Sherry. She needed to send them on a goose chase.

Alice made her way back to her car but stopped when she saw the black van parked in front of the store. She turned around and was met by two men in full gear. She smirked at them. “Hey boys!” She saw the first punch coming and blocked it with her forearm. She spun around and pushed all her weight against the man’s chest to throw him onto his back. She kicked him in the face. She turned around to face the other assailant who lunged forward and swung a right hook at her. It was too late to duck. She stumbled backward with a groan. She touched her lower lip and wiped the blood away. She chuckled. “Is that all you got?” She grabbed him by the neck and kneed him in the stomach before elbowing him in the back.

Alice glanced behind her, the men that were waiting in the van were now running toward her. They weren’t using their guns which meant they wanted her alive to question her. Since she wasn't one to run away from a fight, she decided to stand her ground and wait for them. She threw the first man against the wall, knocking him out but she quickly focused back on the rest of his team. She realized that they were more numerous than she had expected. “Shit.” She pulled out her gun and started shooting but soon, she found herself surrounded. She kept fighting, throwing punch-for-punch. If she was going to fall, she intended to bring them down with her. She hissed in pain when one of the goons kicked her in the stomach. She tried to avoid his next attack but the man behind her tased her. She fell to her knees. She tried to stand back up but someone hit her head with the butt of their rifle. Half-conscious, Alice could tell her hands were being tied with a zip-tie. Then, she was lifted off the ground and dragged into the van.

* * *

Despite drifting in and out of consciousness, Alice knew the van was moving for a while now. She forced her body to work again and sat up, leaning her back against the van wall. She blinked a few times to focus. Three men were with her. She cleared her throat. “So, what are your names? I mean, when you take a girl to meet your dad, the least you could do is introduce yourself.” They ignored her. “Not very talkative, I respect that. Could you untie me then so I can fix my make-up? I wouldn’t want to meet Simmons in my state.” She taunted them.

The man closest to Alice slapped her. “Shut up!”

Alice bit the inside of her cheek, forcing herself not to answer back. She glanced at her boot but her knife wasn’t there anymore. She sighed. She was in a bit of a pickle. At least Claire and Sherry were safe and if Simmons expected her to reveal their location, he was setting himself up for disappointment. She studied the men sitting with her in the van. Even with her hands tied, she could probably manage to steal a gun and shoot them but she needed the right opening to engage.

She heard the driver honk before he hit the brakes. Suddenly, the vehicle swerved out of control and flipped over. At the impact, Alice’s body was thrown around like a rag doll. When everything stopped, she groaned and tried to sit up. Her whole body was aching, especially her right leg, and she could feel blood dripping down the left side of her face. It really wasn’t her day. She looked around and saw the guards weren’t moving. She might be able to escape after all.

All of sudden, the van’s back doors opened and a woman appeared. Alice stared at her. She was Asian, a bit smaller than she was despite her red high heels. She was wearing a black dress with a red blazer. Her look screamed femme fatale but Alice couldn’t help but think her outfit was impractical for fieldwork. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Right now? Your only chance to get out of here alive.” The woman answered.

Alice snorted. “It’s a bit long for a name.”

“I’m Ada and I know who you are Alice Abernathy. In fact, we have an enemy in common. You see, Simmons is an old friend of mine and…”

“I’m confused, is he a friend or a foe?” Alice shook her head. “You suck at storytelling.”

“I really don’t care if you live or die so you should stop interrupting me.” Ada snapped. “Like I was saying, Simmons and I used to work together, until he went too far.”

“What are you, a spy?” Alice tried to stand but a sharp pain in her leg brought her crashing back down. “Do spies have a conscience?”

“I don’t really play by the rules.” Ada waved her hand dismissively. “Anyway, I was trying to find dirt on him and then I realized I wasn’t the only one. Imagine my surprise when I found out it was a former Umbrella employee.”

Alice sighed. “Do you have a point?” She didn’t know what the woman wanted but the longer she stayed, the harder it would be for her to escape. She appreciated the help but she didn’t need a third party to lecture her on the mess she was in.

“I want to destroy him and here you are, handing me the perfect opportunity on a silver platter.” Ada pulled out a flash drive from her blazer pocket. “The cavalry should be here soon. They’re going to arrest you and with the information, they’ll find on that flash drive, they’re going to question you for a very long time.”

Alice frowned. “I thought you were here to help.”

Ada chuckled. “I said you would stay alive, I’ve never said anything about prison.” She threw the flash drive inside and winked. “Tell Leon Ada says hi.” She closed the doors.

“Wait!” It was too late. Alice growled. “Who the fuck is Leon?” She tried the doors but they were blocked from the outside. The next time they opened, federal agents greeted her. “Great! Sheriffs, goons, spies, and now the armchair commando. Who’s next? The President? The Queen of England?”

* * *

After a medic patched her wounds, Alice found herself in an interrogation room, waiting to be interviewed. She wasn’t planning on protecting that Ada woman but if they wanted to know about Claire and Sherry, her lips were sealed.

A blonde man entered the room and sat opposite her. “I’m Agent Leon Kennedy. Do you know why you’re here?” He put an evidence bag with Alice’s things on the table.

Alice smiled tauntingly. “Reckless driving?” She arched an eyebrow. “Shoplifting maybe or is that too basic for you, Boy Scout?”

The agent looked at her with a face void of emotion. “You assaulted a government official and kidnapped a child, Sherry Birkin. Ring any bells?”

“No.” Alice shook her head. “But I have a crime to confess.” She leaned forward and whispered. “I don’t always recycle.”

“Ms. Abernathy, it is in your best interest to talk,” Leon stated.

“I am talking, you’re just not great at listening.” Alice snorted, leaning back on her chair. “You’re one of Simmons’ goons anyway, why should I talk to you?”

“I am not, I just want to find Miss Birkin,” Leon assured her. “So tell me what happened? Why do you need her? Is it because you used to work for Umbrella?”

Alice sighed. So Simmons had revealed her past, she wasn’t even surprised. She was the perfect scapegoat. “Why don’t you ask your little friend Ada instead?”

Leon ignored her and slammed his hand on the table. “Where is Sherry?”

“Have you look on top of the cake?” Alice replied, unfazed.

An agent opened the door. “Agent Kennedy, a word?”

Leon looked at him and nodded before focusing back on Alice. “I’ll be right back.”

“Take your time, it’s not like I’m going anywhere,” Alice smirked. Once Leon left the room, she stared at the bag with her phone in it. Her hands were handcuffed to the chair so she knew it was pointless to try and grab it. Claire didn’t know where she was and despite the tension between them, she knew the woman must be worried. Alice hoped that once Claire would realize she wasn’t coming back, she would take Sherry and run.

Leon came back into the room. He showed her the flash drive. “Is this yours?” He sat down.

“No. I told your colleague I didn’t know anything. I was just walking down the street when some men grabbed me and threw me in a van. The van crashed and then a woman called Ada showed up. She said she knew Simmons and then, she gave me the flash drive.” Alice was trying to buy some time. While they were looking into the flash drive and Ada, they weren’t searching for Claire and Sherry.

Suddenly, her phone rang. Alice and Leon stared at it at the same time. Alice hoped it wasn’t Claire or everything she had done so far was for nothing. She had saved Claire’s number under another name on her phone but if the man answered, it wouldn’t matter.

Leon opened the bag and took the phone. He stared at the screen then answered. “Hello?”

_There was a pause. “You’re not Alice. Who the fuck are you? Where is Alice?”_

Leon frowned. “Claire?”

_“Leon? Why do you have Alice’s phone?” Claire answered._

Alice groaned. Even if the phone wasn’t on speaker, she could hear Claire’s voice. She was surprised to see the two knew each other. Claire had never talked about any of her friends, only mentioning her brother, but Alice wasn’t even sure if it was on purpose. Alice knew Claire had kept to herself due to her lack of trust and she couldn’t really blame her. She tried to think about what she knew about Claire and Sherry. She almost wished she had kept reading the files she had on Claire but she knew, even back then, that it wasn’t right. Then it came to her, there was L.S. Kennedy on Sherry’s visitor log. Maybe the girl was their connection. If Leon was an agent, it wasn’t hard for him to hide some details about his life.

“She’s with me. She’s under arrest for assaulting Simmons and kidnapping Sherry.” Leon informed her.

_“What? No!” Claire exclaimed. “That’s not what happened. Simmons is the one responsible for this whole mess. Sherry is safe with me.”_

“Where are you?” The agent inquired.

_“I can’t tell you.”_

“Claire,” Leon said warningly.

_“Leon, I know we don’t always see eye to eye but I swear on Chris’ life that I’m telling you the truth.” Claire insisted. “Simmons tried to kill Sherry and me last night. Alice helped us escape. Everything that happened was self-defense.”_

Leon sighed. “I’ll call you back.” He hung up the phone. Then, he stood up and went to the corner of the room where he reached for the security camera and unplugged it.

Alice watched him with questioning eyes. She wasn’t expecting that but if Claire trusted him enough to tell him the truth, maybe he was her ticket out of here.

“Claire is a good friend of mine. If she tells me you’re innocent, I’m tempted to believe her.” Leon announced. “But if you want me to help, you’re gonna have to talk. If you give me enough, I’ll make sure you walk out of here free.”

Alice took a moment to ponder her choices. If Leon wasn’t working for Simmons, then it was her chance to take him down. However, she had no guaranty Leon’s hierarchy would take action. “Simmons has supports everywhere. Clearly, you’re not the one in charge. Can you assure me your boss will do what’s necessary?”

“I can’t,” Leon answered honestly. “But I can protect Sherry and Claire.”

Alice guessed it was the best she was going to get. Simmons was still out there and he could still be looking for Sherry. No matter if Leon had a plan or not, she wouldn’t be able to help if she was put behind bars. “Fine. I won’t tell you where they are but I can tell you everything else.”

Leon freed Alice’s hands from the handcuffs and sat back, listening to her with rapt attention. It took a while to explain everything. Once Alice was done, Leon left the room to call his hierarchy and give them the news. He came back on hour later. He told Alice that his boss would handle the problem and that she was free to go. She wasn’t allowed to reveal what she knew to anyone though.

Leon offered his hand. “Thank you for what you did for them.”

Alice took his hand and shook it, not letting go. “I know how things work in the government. If anything happens to them, I’ll hold you responsible.” The threat was barely hidden beneath her calm voice.

Leon nodded with the hint of a smile. “A car is waiting for you. We’ll keep in touch, Ms. Abernathy.”

“Have a good night, Agent Kennedy.” Alice gave him her biggest fake smile.


	7. Chapter 7

Claire and Sherry had spent another night at the motel. Without a car, it was hard for them to leave, and with Simmons still out there, Claire wouldn’t even know where to go. Since Alice wasn’t coming back, all she could do was wait until Leon gave her the green light.

Sherry was lying on the bed, eating cereal from the vending machine for breakfast as she skipped through the channels. Claire was sitting at the small table, absentmindedly looking through an old magazine until something on TV caught her attention. “Wait a sec! Go back.”

“What?” Sherry frowned in confusion but switched back to the previous channel.

A big ‘Breaking News’ was on the screen with a picture of Simmons. Claire focused on the news anchor.

_“… The government official was killed in his residence last night in what police believe was a burglary gone wrong. No suspect has been identified yet.”_

Claire stared at the TV. “What the fuck?”

“He’s dead?” Sherry asked out loud. “Does it mean we can go home now?”

“I… I don’t know…” Claire was shocked. She was glad that fucker was dead and she wasn’t planning on hiding it but she knew a cover-up when she saw one. Simmons had security guards, there was no way a random criminal could have entered his house, let alone kill him. She barely made it out alive the last time she encountered Simmons’ guards so she knew for a fact that it was near impossible. Whatever Alice told Leon, it was big enough for the government to make Simmons disappear. She grabbed her phone and called Leon, she needed confirmation. 

_“Claire, I was about to call you,” Leon said as a greeting._

“Leon! What the f…” Claire stopped herself from swearing this time, remembering Sherry was in the room. She should really stop swearing like a drunken sailor or at least, try to take it down a notch. “What the heck happened last night? I just saw the news, is Simmons really dead?”

_Leon sighed. “Yes, he’s dead.”_

“Okay, good.” Claire was glad to hear that part wasn’t a lie. “But it’s clearly a cover-up! I mean a burglary gone wrong, seriously?”

_“I know.” Leon cleared his throat. “I am not authorized to give you the details but I was asked not to investigate further.”_

Claire could read between the lines. Someone in high places gave an order and now the case was closed. Simmons might have had important friends but they were quick to turn their back on him at the first sign of trouble. She wanted to know more, to find names but she knew she would never be able to. At least he was gone... “Is it safe to go home now?”

_“Yes, just tell me where you are and I’ll pick you up,” Leon told her._

“What about Sherry?” Claire asked. She couldn’t wait to go home but she didn’t want to do it without Sherry. “Leon, I’m not coming back if it means another creep is going to take care of her.”

_“I knew you would say that,” Leon answered with a hint of amusement. “So I asked around and you have a meeting tomorrow to discuss Sherry’s case. I will tell you more when I’ll see you.”_

“Thank you.” Claire gave him the name of the motel and its location. Before he could hang up, she added. “Leon? Is Alice…” She didn’t know what to ask but she needed to know if the woman was alright.

_“She’s fine. She went back to her place.” Leon reassured her._

“Good.” Claire sighed in relief. A part of her wondered why Alice didn’t try to contact her if she was safe. Maybe the woman didn’t want to lead the authorities to them in case Leon was tracking her phone, or maybe she was just busy. Then Claire remembered the last thing she told Alice - to stay away once everything was over - and realized Alice was just respecting her wishes. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, there were more important matters at hand. “I’ll see you soon then. Bye.” She turned to Sherry with a smile. “We’re going home.”

“Yes!” Sherry squealed and rushed to hug her, her Coco pops flying everywhere.

* * *

Claire couldn’t believe her nightmare was over. Sherry was with her, finally and she was now the girl’s legal guardian. With the help of her lawyer Richard, she had been able to convince the government that, after everything that happened, it was best for the girl to stay with someone she knew and trusted. Deep down, she knew they had agreed because they were eager to cut all ties with Simmons’ work more than anything else but as the old saying said, ‘never look a gift horse in the mouth’. Sherry still had to do a checkup twice a month due to her special condition but it was nothing they couldn’t handle.

Claire was now leading Sherry to her apartment. She opened the door and exclaimed. “Home sweet home!” Her place was a bit of a mess and the guest room was full of boxes but she knew Sherry would be happy to rearrange the room that was now hers.

“Finally!” Sherry looked around the apartment with a big smile on her face. “I wanted to see where you live since we left Raccoon City.”

Claire winced. She knew the guilt of abandoning the girl would never fully go away but she was also aware that she wouldn’t have been able to raise Sherry at 19. “It’s not the same place and it’s three years too late but…”

Sherry smiled reassuringly. “It’s okay.”

“I promised thought.” Claire removed her jacket and took Sherry’s to hang them.

“And here we are, reunited.” The girl pointed out.

“Sherry…”

“Come on, Claire. I know it wasn’t easy for you either but you didn’t give up, that’s what matters.” Sherry assured her.

Claire smiled at her softly. “Since when have you become so wise?”

“Like Corneille said, ‘True, I am young, but for souls nobly born valor doesn't await the passing of years!’” Sherry quoted proudly.

“I’m glad to see you’re an A student.” Claire joked. She wasn’t the type to push someone to be the best at everything. She wanted Sherry to learn new things and enjoy herself but most of all, she wanted the girl to experience greater mental and emotional well-being.

“I had a lot of free time.” Sherry shrugged. “So, where’s my room?”

“Let me give you a tour!” Claire offered her hand to Sherry and led her toward the guest room.

* * *

Claire had a long day at work and couldn’t wait to be home. When she reached her apartment building, she stopped in the lobby to check her mail. As she was closing her mailbox, she heard someone approach her.

“Good evening, Miss Redfield.” The old woman greeted her.

Claire bit back a groan as she recognized the voice of her neighbor Mrs. Henderson. The old woman was the self-appointed concierge of the building and Claire always tried to avoid her like the plague. The woman wasn’t mean per se but she was always spying on everyone or commenting on the tenants' business. The fact that she was practically insomniac and not as deaf as she wanted everyone to believe made her as stubborn as a goat. Claire told her off more than once in the past but it had never stopped Mrs. Henderson from corning her in the lobby when she had ‘questions’- questions that felt more like a strong interrogation by the CIA than a gentle chit-chat.

“Mrs. Henderson.” Claire turned around and forced a smile. “How are you today?”

“I’m alright, thank you, dear.” Mrs. Henderson smiled.

“Well, have a nice evening.” Claire nodded and started walking toward the stairs but her neighbor stopped her.

“Miss Redfield, pardon my curiosity, but I couldn't help but notice the young lady living with you for a week now. Who is she?” Mrs. Henderson questioned.

‘None of your fucking business, you old hag.’ Claire wanted to answer but she didn’t want the situation to escalate just yet if she could avoid it. “I can assure you that she’s no one you have to worry about, Mrs. Henderson.”

“I was just wondering because well,” The old woman cleared her throat. “You seem to be really good _friend_ with that short brunette who visits you often. I also saw you once or twice coming home with a lady at your arm and they always left early the next day but… your friend seems a bit young for that type of lifestyle.”

Claire snorted at the comment. Yes, when she first rented her apartment, she brought home a couple of one-night stands but it was years ago and she didn’t have anyone after that until she met Alice. It was definitely not first-page-worthy in the building's gossip. She didn’t know if ‘lifestyle’ referred to her little flings or the fact that they were all women but no matter what it meant, it was ridiculous. The fact that Mrs. Henderson thought Jill and her were a couple was hilarious though, she would have to tell her friend about it. “Lifestyle?” She crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow.

The woman nodded. “I mean, far be it from me to tell you how to live your life, I am not judging you, Miss Redfield, I’m…”

Claire held her hand up to stop her words. “With all due respect, Mrs. Henderson, what I do with my life is none of your business. I would appreciate it if you could stop monitoring my comings and goings.”

“I’m merely trying to keep the building safe by making sure every visitor has the right to be here.” Mrs. Henderson defended herself.

“Sherry isn’t a visitor, she lives with me now,” Claire stated coldly. She was starting to lose her cool and she needed to end the conversation. “And before you ask, yes, I notified the landlord of this change and yes, I'll pay my fair share of the charges for the both of us.” She relaxed when she saw Sherry coming down the stairs.

“Hey.” Sherry approached her with a grin on her face. She turned to the old woman. “Good evening, ma’am.”

“Hi, sweetie.” Claire smiled and kissed her forehead.

Mrs. Henderson gave the girl a polite smile. “Good evening, darling.”

“You’re going somewhere?” Claire asked her. The girl had her jacket in her hand and was clearly on her way to the building entrance.

“No, Leon is bringing the rest of my stuff so I’m waiting for him outside,” Sherry informed her.

Leon had been able to retrieve some of Sherry’s belonging at Simmons’ house and Claire wanted to thank him. It was also her chance for a quick exit. “Do you need help?” She nodded, hoping Sherry would understand her silent call for help.

“No, it’s okay.” Sherry shook her head. “He can’t stay long anyway.”

Claire sighed, at least she tried. “Okay, go ahead.” She watched Sherry leave. “It’s raining, put your jacket on!” She called before the girl pushed the building door open.

“I didn’t know you were separated.” Mrs. Henderson frowned. “You must have had your daughter young. Was she staying with the father before?”

Claire rolled her eyes, the number of assumptions that woman could make, it was absurd. She knew she looked older than she was and Sherry definitely looked younger but it was certainly not enough to assume they were related. “Would it be a more fitted lifestyle?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you, dear.” Mrs. Henderson said with a fake look of apology.

“Not that it’s any of your business but I adopted Sherry and Leon is a friend.” Claire declared. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do and I can hear the generic of Jeopardy coming from your TV, pretty sure you don't want to miss that.”

“Of course, have a nice evening, Miss Redfield.”

“Likewise.” Claire started walking toward the exit then stopped and turned around. “Mrs. Henderson?”

“Yes, dear?”

“I’ll only tell this you once. If you want us to stay on friendly terms, I would advise you to stay away from Sherry and me.” Claire gave her a dark look to match her words. She didn’t like threatening people, especially those she ran into regularly, but she felt it was necessary to set up some kind of boundary. She couldn’t care less what the woman thought about her but she wasn’t living alone anymore and she wanted Sherry to feel safe in her own home. Without waiting for an answer, she left the building.

* * *

Claire was watching TV, not really paying attention to it. She was exhausted lately. She was trying to find a new routine now that Sherry was with her but she knew it would take some time. Sherry was lovely though, always trying to help her with everything, as if, if she stopped, someone would take her away again. Claire had reassured her several times that she was here to stay but she guessed it was an adjustment for the both of them.

Claire heard a flush and water running then the bathroom door opened. Sherry looked at her before asking if she could join. Claire glanced at the clock. “Half an hour, then off to bed.” When Sherry was living with Simmons, she was home-schooled with a private teacher. Claire could definitely not afford it but since the girl wasn’t allowed to join a normal high school yet, the government had agreed to let her finish the year with other kids in their custody. It was good but it also meant leaving the apartment early so she could drop Sherry to ‘school’ then drive all the way across town to go to work. At least Sherry could take the bus to come back home.

Sherry nodded but didn’t join her right away. She went to her room and came back with Claire’s former red jacket. “Here.” She put it on Claire. “Looks like you need it more than I do right now.”

Claire smiled at the sweet gesture. “I’m fine, don’t worry.” She patted the spot next to her on the couch.

Sherry sat down and cuddled close to her. “What are you watching?”

“You know what?” Claire chuckled. “I don’t even know.”

Sherry stayed silent for a few minutes. “So… I received a call today.”

Claire stopped looking at the TV to focus on the girl. “On the landline?”

“On my cellphone.” Sherry corrected.

“Since when do you have a cellphone?” Claire grabbed the remote and muted the TV. It looked like they were about to have a serious conversation.

“Leon gave it to me. He said he would call you to tell you about it.” Sherry frowned in confusion. “I’m sorry, I thought you knew. I wasn’t trying to hide it.”

Claire suddenly remembered the missed call she had received while she was in a meeting. She had completely forgotten to call Leon back. She had planned to buy Sherry a phone in case she was stuck at work and needed to warn the girl, but with the expenses she already had, she thought she would wait for her promotion to be confirmed. “No, it’s my fault. I was supposed to call him back.” It wasn’t the first time Leon had bought something for Sherry. Claire had told him several times that it wasn’t necessary but he insisted. It was his way of helping and being involved in Sherry’s life. “Do I need to give you a speech about how you need to be responsible with it? No text to weird numbers that want to tell you all about your future with the alien race and whatnot.”

“I know,” Sherry giggled. “Leon said the same thing, well, not the funny part.”

“I know, I’m a funny gal.” Claire winked. “So about that phone call?”

“It was Alice,” Sherry stated cautiously.

Claire froze. The last time she heard about Alice was from Leon when he picked them up at the motel. It was a couple of weeks ago. “How did you get her number?”

“I memorized it a while ago. She said that if I ever needed help someday, I should give her a call…” Sherry explained. “I just… I miss her. I wanted to know if she was alright so I texted her and she called me back. Please don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad, I know you care about her.” Claire smiled reassuringly. No matter what her problem with Alice was, she knew Sherry wasn’t responsible.

“I don’t understand why you don’t want to talk to her anymore. She helped us!” Sherry declared with a hint of frustration in her voice. “So I asked her what happened…”

Claire sighed. Sherry had tried to talk about Alice more than once but Claire had shut her down every time. “Sherry, I…”

“I know I can be naïve sometimes but I’m not a baby. I know you two were a thing. I saw it when we were at the motel. I pretended to be asleep but in reality, I was watching you. If you worry about me, you shouldn’t. I’m fine with it. And if it’s something else, maybe you two can work it out…”

“It’s complicated...” Claire sighed once again. She didn’t want Sherry to think less of Alice and besides, she wasn’t in the mood to have this kind of conversation.

Sherry stared at her then said. “Is it because Alice used to work for Umbrella?”

Claire opened then closed her mouth, clearly taken aback by the girl’s question. She guessed it was pointless to deny it. “How do you know?”

“Alice doesn’t treat me like a kid. She said I had the right to know before I decide if I want to keep talking to her or not. She said she would understand if I didn’t want to because she knows what happened to me and my parents. I told her it was all in the past now so if I can forgive her, why can’t you?”

“I’m not mad that she worked for Umbrella, thousands of people did and most of them didn’t know what was going on. Alice knew but she tried to stop them at least… I’m just… I’m angry that she lied.” Claire finally admitted.

“You told me once that some people deserve a second chance if they work for it. She did. She helped us and didn’t ask for anything in return.” Sherry insisted.

“Sherry please, can we not talk about this right now?” Claire touched her forehead, she could feel the headache coming. “I have you now, I have my job, and I don’t have time for…”

“But you could have everything!” Sherry cut her off. “If you could just agree to talk to her...”

“Sherry, no!” It was Claire’s turn to interrupt. “Did she put you up to this?”

“No! I swear.” Sherry was almost offended on Alice’s behalf. “She said I shouldn’t try anything.”

“And she was right.” Claire stood up from the couch. “It’s my decision to make not yours and I don’t want to do anything.”

“But…” Sherry tried.

“This discussion is over.” Claire usually let Sherry express herself and they had a good level of communication but this was her personal life. It wasn’t something she wanted to discuss with a teenager. They weren’t friends; Sherry was under her responsibility now. “Just go to bed, please.”

* * *

Apparently, the discussion wasn’t over because when Claire came home a few days later, she found the girl sitting on the couch with Alice. Claire was not in the mood for an intervention. “What is she doing here?” She dropped her purse and stared at them.

Sherry stood up. “Wait, Claire...”

“I thought I made myself clear.” Claire crossed her arms.

“I know but I…” Sherry tried to explain.

Claire didn’t let her finish and glared at Alice. “Why are you here?” She might have been hurt at first that Alice didn’t check on them after Simmons’ death but now that she had the woman in front of her, all her anger and frustration were coming back.

Alice stood up too and raised her hands in a pacifying gesture. “Sherry said she needed to talk and promised me you wouldn’t be there…”

“I lied okay,” Sherry admitted. “I just wanted you to talk.”

“And I told you it wasn’t for you to decide.” Claire reminded her firmly.

“I should go.” Alice declared.

“No.” “Yes.” Sherry and Claire answered simultaneously.

“Claire please, just give her a chance to explain.” Sherry pleaded. “And if you’re still not convinced then I promise, I’ll just drop the subject.” She looked at the two women then said. “I’ll be in my room.”

Claire and Alice stared at each other for a minute until Alice nodded and wordlessly walked toward the front door. Claire watched her. The woman was still pretty banged up from their rescue mission. Alice had a slight limp and the sleeve of her shirt barely concealed her bandaged bicep. The sight reminded her that Alice had been willing to sacrifice herself just to allow Sherry and her to escape. Maybe it was enough to give her a chance to explain, not that it would change anything. She sighed. “Alice, wait…”

Alice stopped at the door, a glimmer of hope in her eyes as she looked at Claire. “Yes?” 

“You have 10 minutes,” Claire stated, making her way to her bedroom.

After a moment of hesitation, Alice followed. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything. I think you owe me that since you know more about me than I’m comfortable with.” Claire sat on her bed and stared at her expectedly.

Alice sighed. “I was born in Columbus, Ohio. I was raised by my mother since my father disappeared when I was 10. After high school, I went to Uni to study criminology. One of my teachers said I fitted the profile to be a federal agent so I left and joined the US Treasury. I passed all the tests but apparently back then, you couldn’t be part of the Secret Services if you didn’t have a penis…” She paused. “After that, Umbrella approached me. They offered me a good position in their security team, with a good salary so I said yes. I worked for them for 5 years until all hell broke loose…”

Claire massaged her forehead as she processed Alice’s words. It didn’t sound like a rehearsed speech but Alice looked so detached, as if she was trying to remember another lifetime. “So just like that you went from working for the good guys to working for the bad guys?” It sounded more like a statement than a question.

“If you knew as much as I do you’d realize that, most of the time, they’re pretty much the same,” Alice said. “In my defense, when I joined Umbrella, I didn’t know what they were doing.”

“But then you figured it out and did nothing.” Claire pointed out reproachfully.

“I tried.”

“You tried?” Claire said incredulously.

“I don’t know what else you want me to say.” Alice shrugged helplessly. “I wasn’t the one in charge and I certainly wasn’t the one responsible for the outbreak.”

Claire sighed. Alice had a point. Umbrella was a powerful corporation protected by the government. She had read enough documents while exploring the NEST in Raccoon City to know a traitor would have been shot without a trial. “So what happened after that?”

“Like I told you when we were in the car, I left. I spent months hunting down former employees who had blood on their hands until…” Alice hesitated.

“Until what?” Claire raised an eyebrow.

“My mother got sick.” Alice let out a sigh. “I stayed with her until she passed.” Her jaw tightened. “The Raccoon trial was all over the news but the government kept saying they knew nothing about Umbrella’s secret research. I knew it was a lie. I had to do something so…”

“So you joined the government. For what?” Claire inquired. “Revenge?”

“I had nothing to lose and people had the right to know,” Alice replied. “I wanted to finish what Lisa had started.”

“By working for Simmons?”

“He was the first key player I could track down and working for him was the perfect cover.” Alice took a few steps to the side and leaned against the dresser to relieve the weight on her leg. “It was also a way to find out who could be trusted inside the government to help me reveal the truth. I quickly realized it wouldn’t be that easy to bring him down.”

Claire nodded, remembering Alice had mentioned something about it when they were in the car. “The secret organization you mentioned?”

“The Family, yes.”

“Did you tell anyone about it?” Claire questioned. Simmons’ connections ran deeper than she had imagined and it was a relief to know he wouldn’t be able to hurt them anymore.

“I had to…” Alice admitted. “It was part of the deal to be released and cleared of all charges.”

Claire knew Alice had been kept in custody for a while before Leon let her go. Seeing what happened to Simmons, Claire was pretty sure no one was going to investigate the organization. Going after them was probably suicide anyway but it wasn’t her problem anymore. “So now, I want to know why me? Why did you help us?”

“I didn’t lie to you about that.” Alice insisted. “I wanted to help you and I thought, maybe together, we could have a chance to bring him down.”

“I was a tool then?” Claire wasn’t trying to be difficult but it was a lot to absorb.

“You weren’t. Simmons didn’t care about you until you started requesting more time with Sherry. I knew it wouldn’t end well so I decided to help. I might have done some things I’m not proud of but I would never hurt a child. So I reached out to you. I didn’t…” Alice stopped and cleared her throat. “I didn’t think I would get attached. I tried to stay away, for your sake but…”

“I gave you several chances to come clean.” Claire reminded her. “When we started our friendship, I told you I needed a reason to trust you and you basically told me to just…” She raised her hands in frustration. “Take a leap of faith.”

Alice ran a hand through her hair. “I gave you everything I could.”

“Except for the truth.” Claire locked eyes with her.

“To protect you.” Alice countered.

“Bullshit!” Claire scoffed. “It was to protect yourself.” 

“The night you came to my apartment, I was planning on telling you the truth,” Alice revealed.

Claire snorted. “How convenient…”

“It’s true.” Alice took a step closer as if she wanted to reach out but then she stopped, thinking better of it. She shoved her hands into her pockets instead. “I wanted to come clean and ask you to make things official, at least between us, because I knew it would be too risky to tell other people. But then I received a call. I told you it was work but it wasn’t. It was my contact, Jenkins, telling me Simmons was onto me. I already knew he was up to something when he changed my accreditation that same morning. When I came home, I decided to get rid of every file I had but then you showed up.”

“It was one more reason to tell me the truth!” Claire stood up abruptly, trying to get rid of her nervous energy.

“I just needed more time…” Alice responded wearily. “Your safety, Sherry’s, it was more important than the rest.”

Claire studied Alice. She seemed honest but Claire had been fooled once before. “So your interest in me was…”

“Genuine,” Alice assured her with a small smile. “I had a lot of partners in the past. Men, women, some for a night, some for a few months, but it was never serious. I’ve never been committed to a relationship, until you…”

“We weren’t even a thing, we were…” Claire trailed off. She didn’t know what they were. Toward the end, they were definitely acting like a couple, as much as she wanted to deny it but…

“I wanted us to be,” Alice confessed. “I know I don’t deserve you and honestly, I’m not good at these things but you made me want to try...”

Claire sighed almost painfully and closed her eyes. “Well, it’s a bit too late now…” Her trust had been broken and it wasn’t something she could ignore. When they first met, both their lives were in turmoil and Claire couldn’t imagine a romance coming out of the chaos anymore, at least not one that could last. Perhaps they just missed their chance…

“I understand…” Alice replied dejectedly.

They stayed silent for a moment, both lost in thoughts. Then Claire cleared her throat. “What are you going to do now?”

Alice shrugged. “They fired me so… I’m gonna pack my things and move north.”

Claire nodded. “Well, good luck with your fresh start.” It was said without any malice. No matter what had happened between them, she was still grateful for Alice’s help.

“I… Thank you,” Alice said with a pained smile. “You take care of yourself, and Sherry.” She exited the bedroom and made her way toward the front door. She stopped to look at Claire one last time. “I know you don’t want to hear it but I am sorry. I wish we could have met under different circumstances.” She nodded in goodbye before leaving.

Claire sighed, staring at the door with a heavy heart. She heard a noise to her right and glanced toward it. Sherry was standing in the hallway. “Hey.” She smiled tiredly.

“So?” Sherry asked hesitantly.

“We talked,” Claire stated.

“And?”

Claire shrugged. “She left.”

“She’s not leaving town until next week.” Sherry divulged.

“How do you…” Claire stopped, remembering Sherry and Alice were texting each other regularly.

“She could have left a long time ago but she didn’t. Maybe you should ask yourself why.” Sherry said knowingly before going back to her room.

Claire looked back at the front door. She had her answers, but then why didn't she feel better?

* * *

Claire was still thinking about her conversation with Alice. She had looked at the woman’s file again and her story seemed to make sense, at least more than the web of lies written on paper. It dawned on her that Alice hadn’t asked her once if she was using her to help Sherry. She wondered if Alice knew, if she had seen the affection in her eyes, in her smile. Maybe at first talking to Alice was a means to an end but things changed after a while and Claire came to care for her. If she was honest with herself, she knew she had her share of responsibility in the way things started. But how could they move on after everything, should they even try?

Claire tapped her teeth with her fingernail, wondering if she should text Alice. After a while, she started typing. **‘You’ve never asked me if I only used you to help Sherry. Why?’** A minute later, she received an answer.

**_Alice: ‘I didn’t need to. It doesn’t matter why everything started, when you looked at me that day before leaving my car, I knew.’_ **

Claire groaned and threw her phone to the side. She guessed she wasn’t so good at concealing her feelings after all. She didn’t contact Alice after that.

A few days later, Claire and Sherry were having dinner and the girl kept staring at her. After a while, Claire had enough and asked her what was going on.

“It’s just… Alice is leaving tomorrow.” Sherry stated.

“Good for her,” Claire said without any bite in her tone.

“Claire…”

“Sherry,” Claire sighed. “Whatever we had is over and I don’t want to talk about it anymore, especially not with you.” She was trying to install boundaries but Sherry could be stubborn.

“It’s not too late to ask her to stay.” The girl reminded her.

“She’s an adult, she can do whatever she wants with her life,” Claire answered. “She doesn’t owe us anything.”

Sherry groaned. “For a smart woman, you're being dumb about this.”

“And you should watch your mouth, young lady!” Claire cringed internally. She sounded like her mother. If she was still alive, Claire was pretty sure she would be laughing at her. She understood now how unpleasant it was to be on the receiving end of a child’s attitude.

“I’m sorry.” Sherry apologized sheepishly. “But Alice doesn’t have anyone. If you ask her to stay, she would.”

“Listen, Sherry, I know you like Alice and I won’t prevent you from talking to her but she betrayed my trust. It’s not something you can just sweep under the rug.” Claire wasn’t angry anymore, just disappointed and maybe a little sad too.

Sherry sadly stared at her plate. “It’s not the same when I can’t see her.”

“I’m sorry.” Claire didn’t know what she was apologizing for but it felt necessary.

Later that night, Claire settled on the couch with a glass of wine and her phone. Now that her anger had subsided, she was starting to miss Alice. The woman could be infuriating but she was also funny, sweet, and charming in her own way… Claire chewed on her lower lip as she stared at their last text exchange, wondering if she should say anything. With a frustrated sigh, she put her phone down and refilled her wine. All she could think about was Sherry’s comment and Alice’s sad smile when she left her apartment. She might not be able to forgive Alice but she wasn’t ready to cut all ties either.

On an impulse, Claire finished her glass and grabbed her phone, texting only 3 words. **‘I miss you…’**

When Claire woke up the next day, she had no notification on her phone. She supposed Alice had left town already.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I wanted to wait until I had more reviews to post the update since I can see the hits going up (I have a lot of work and I needed a bit of motivation to proofread 7k...) but I don't want to let down the people taking the time to review each chapter so here it is.   
> Let me know what you think...

Claire was at home, spending the evening alone while Sherry was with Leon to celebrate her new freedom. Claire had decided not to join to give them some time together and told them they could all eat together at another date.

After dinner, Claire was doing the dishes when she heard a knock on her door. She looked at the time, Sherry left an hour ago so it couldn’t be her. She wiped her hands dry on a towel and walked to the door, opening it. Alice was standing on her doorstep, with a new hair color and her hands behind her back.

“Alice… Your hair…” Claire didn’t even know why it was the first thing that came to her mind, especially after not seeing the woman for a few weeks.

Alice chuckled as she touched her wavy, chin-length dark hair. “It’s my natural hair color. I thought I should go back to my roots.”

“It’s nice…” Claire smiled then cleared her throat, finally remembering to ask the important question. “What are you doing here? I haven’t heard from you since…”

“I know, I’m sorry.” Alice apologized.

Claire waved the apology off. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“I didn’t answer your text because I wanted to put my things in order before contacting you again,” Alice explained with a small shrug.

“How did you know I would be here?” Claire questioned. It wasn’t like she was out partying on the weekends anymore but she could be with her family.

“Sherry.” Alice simply said.

“This girl, I swear.” Claire shook her head fondly.

Alice chuckled. “May I come in?”

“Huh, yes, sure.” Claire stepped away to let her in.

Alice finally removed her hand from behind her back to reveal a bouquet of flowers. “I… Huh, here.” She scratched her neck nervously.

Claire had seen a few sides of Alice so far but this shyness was a first and she didn’t hate it. It wasn’t every day that someone as over-confident as Alice stumbled on her words. “Thanks.” She took the flowers and put them in a vase before motioning for Alice to follow her to the living room. She sat at the end of the couch. “So you didn’t leave?” She started.

Alice sat on the right side, putting distance between them. “No.”

“Why?” Claire couldn’t help it, she was curious by nature.

“An opportunity came up.” Alice shrugged.

“Okay…” Claire pinched her lips together. So Alice was still a woman of few words.

“I’m not hiding things.” Alice rushed to explain. “It’s work-related and I don’t want to talk about it until it’s finalized.”

“Do you…” “So, huh…” Alice and Claire said simultaneously.

Claire laughed. “This is awkward…” They never struggled to find topics to discuss before.

“Let me start.” Alice offered. “I’m not here to ask for anything, I just…” She saw Claire look at the flowers. “It was a peace offering.” She sighed. “I just want to stay in touch with Sherry if that’s okay with you? And… If later in the future, you want to be my friend again, you know, a fresh start, I’m here… No pressure.”

“Friend?” Claire arched a questioning eyebrow.

“I like you but I know you don’t want more after what happened and I respect that,” Alice answered frankly. “I told you everything you wanted to know and if you have other questions, I’ll answer them truthfully but there’s nothing else I can do. I know it won’t change the past...”

Claire studied Alice for a moment. “You know, I’m not a high maintenance person. I don’t need much. I don’t care about fancy dinners, romantic gestures or big declarations of love. What I care about is honesty, someone loyal who I can trust. The last part applies to friends too.” She paused. “I’m not sure I can be your friend after what happened between us. I’m not talking about the lies but…” She trailed off helplessly. They had shared something and if Alice was telling the truth, it meant something to the both of them. “Being friends after that would feel cheap.”

Alice nodded. “I understand.”

Silence settled in the room. After a while, Claire blurted out. “I don’t even know why I sent you that text…”

“Do you regret it?” Alice braced herself for the answer.

“No.” It would be a lie to say otherwise. Even if Claire took some liquid courage before sending the text, she meant it.

“So where does that leave us?” Alice asked hesitantly.

Claire shrugged. “I don’t know…” When Alice didn’t answer her text, Claire had convinced herself it was for the best but now Alice was standing in front of her, and she wasn’t so sure anymore.

“Well, I’ll be around.” Alice stood up. “So take your time.”

Claire followed suit, taking a step forward before stopping. “Hey, do you want to watch TV while I finish the dishes? Sherry should be here soon and she would be happy to see you…” She didn’t know what pushed her to ask and she almost regretted it until Alice smiled at her.

“Sure. Do you need a hand?” Alice sat back.

“No, it’s okay.” Claire grabbed the remote and turned the TV on. At least she could take refuge in the kitchen while she pulled herself together. Once she was done, she went back to the living room with two mugs of tea and offered one to Alice. She sat down and sipped her tea, pretending to be engrossed in the show on TV to avoid small talk.

Sherry came back half an hour later. When the girl saw Alice, she squealed and ran toward her for a hug. Leon stayed behind, watching them.

Claire noticed the look of distrust he was throwing at Alice so she dragged him outside the apartment to talk.

“What is she doing here?” Leon inquired. “She worked for Umbrella! Do you think it’s wise to keep her around Sherry? I mean I know she helped you but… Do you know what you’re doing?”

Claire snorted. “No, but it has never stopped me before.” She turned serious. “Sherry knows and she’s fine with it and I’m… I don’t know but can you keep Alice’s past to yourself?”

Leon sighed then nodded. “Just be careful.”

“I was born careful.” The small smile Leon gave her was telling Claire they both knew it was a lie. She hugged him goodbye and went back inside.

Alice was sitting on the couch alone. “Sherry wanted to put her PJs on.” She declared without being asked.

Claire sat back on the couch and soon, Sherry joined them. She plopped herself between them. Claire tucked some hair behind the girl’s ear and asked her if she had fun with Leon.

“Yes.” Sherry clapped her hands happily. “And I think he has a new girlfriend.” She revealed conspicuously before turning to Alice. “When I met Claire and Leon, I wanted them to be together, but now I know Claire likes another type of blonde. Oh wait, you’re not blonde anymore. I love your new hair by the way.”

Alice laughed, glancing at Claire before asking the girl. “Why do you think Boy Scout has a girlfriend?”

“Okay so…” Sherry started to explain what happened while the women listened, their eyes twinkling with amusement.

* * *

Claire and Alice had started texting each other again. Claire was always the one starting the conversation, probably because Alice wanted to let her set the pace. Claire appreciated the sentiment. Alice was also more open with her answers. It was clear now that the woman wasn’t one to talk at length but she was honest and that was what mattered the most.

Claire was trying to compartmentalize her feelings. Alice had lied to her and it didn’t matter if it was to protect her and Sherry, it was still something that bothered her. On the other hand, Alice had kept her promise and helped them. The woman could have left but instead, she stayed, despite the risks, and she made sure Claire and Sherry would be alright. In the end, things worked out thanks to her and Claire knew it.

If Alice had told Claire who she was right away, she would never have trusted her. And if Alice’s plan to confess to her on their date had worked, she didn’t know how she would have reacted, if a confession would have been better than the truth extracted at gunpoint.

‘What ifs’ wouldn’t lead anywhere and it wouldn’t change what happened but if Claire put all of Alice’s rights and wrongs since they met on a scale, it would lean toward the good. Without knowing Alice’s past, Claire had judged her on her actions, on the time they spent together, and back then, it was enough to trust her. She was starting to realize that not everything they had was a lie. Claire also had her own baggage and she had kept things to herself too. It wasn’t fair to base her judgment on someone Alice wasn’t anymore. The woman had changed since Raccoon City and so did she.

Maybe Sherry was right, Claire should give Alice a second chance. It would require a lot of work, not only to rebuild the trust but also to move forward so the past wouldn’t haunt them at every step of their relationship. Alice would never push for more than friendship but if they were to try again, Claire knew she would do her best to prove herself. Perhaps she should just go with the flow and see where it would lead them.

Right now, Claire had other things to worry about. Chris and Jill were coming to meet Sherry and she could tell the girl was anxious. Sherry had changed her outfit twice already and was now fussing over dinner, wondering if they had enough mashed potatoes.

“Relax, Sherry, they’re really not the type of people who care about what they eat.” Claire tried to reassure her.

“I know.” Sherry sighed. “I just want them to like me.”

“I’ve been talking about you for years, I’m sure they already do.” Claire smiled. They heard a knock on the door. “It’s open!”

“It shouldn’t be!” Chris said as greeting.

Claire rolled her eyes. “I knew you were coming.” She hugged her brother. “Hi!” She took a step back then turned to Jill to hug her too. “It’s good to see you.”

Jill kissed her cheek. “You too, kiddo!”

“I’m someone’s guardian now, you should drop the kiddo.” Claire chuckled. “Speaking of.” She turned around and gestured for Sherry to come closer. “This is Sherry.”

“Hello, Sherry.” Chris smiled and offered his hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Chris, Claire’s big brother.”

“And I’m Jill.” The brunette waved. “I’m friends with these two.” She handed Claire a bottle of wine. “Here, to celebrate.”

Claire laughed and accepted the wine. “You always bring booze.”

“Yes, but this time it’s from the top shelf!” Chris pointed out.

Jill rolled her eyes. “You think everything is too expensive when it comes to wine.”

“I don’t,” Chris argued.

“You do,” Claire confirmed, patting him on the back. “Anyway, are you guys hungry? Because dinner’s ready.”

They all sat at the table getting to know each other, stories flowing like a never-ending river. Chris seemed to enjoy embarrassing Claire with tales from their childhood but she didn’t mind because everyone was laughing.

After dessert, Chris stood up and went to his bag to retrieve something. It was a box wrapped in gift paper. He gave it to Sherry. “A little something for you.”

“Really?” Sherry’s eyes sparkled with joy and excitement. She looked at Claire as if she wanted the green light to open it.

Claire nodded. “Go ahead!”

Sherry tore the wrapping paper with abandon. “Oh wow. I…” It was a blue leather jacket, the same type Claire had.

“Claire told me you liked her leather jacket so I thought you should have your own since you are part of the family now,” Chris stated.

“Thank you so much!” Sherry was clearly touched by the gift. She leaned closer to Chris then stopped. “Can I give you a hug?”

“Sure.” Chris chuckled and opened his arms.

Claire mouthed him ‘thank you’ and he winked back at her. “Come on, try it on!”

“Yes!” Sherry pulled away from Chris and clapped her hands before putting the jacket on. “So?” She swirled around.

“Looking good, kid!” Jill said with a smile.

“Do you have one too?” Sherry asked Chris.

“I do,” Chris answered.

“We should all wear them next time so we can match!” Sherry declared excitingly.

Claire smiled. Sherry had given her the jacket back soon after they were reunited, despite her insistence that the girl should keep it but now, she liked that idea of them having matching jackets. “Good idea.”

Chris and Jill didn’t stay long after that since they all had work or school the next day.

* * *

Claire had met Alice for coffee a couple of times, on top of a few movie nights with Sherry and things were getting better between them. The banter was back and so was the flirting, although involuntarily. It felt right so Claire decided not to question it.

Like every night for the past few days, Claire was texting Alice. After talking about their day, Alice told her that the project she was working on had finally materialized. Intrigued, Claire decided to call her. “So, what’s this big secret project of yours?”

_Alice chuckled. “Hello, Claire. I’m fine, thank you for asking.”_

“Come on, we were already talking!” Claire rolled her eyes even though Alice couldn’t see her.

_“I’m officially a business owner.” Alice declared._

“Oh, that’s great but I’m gonna need more than that.” Claire knew Alice had been busy since she lost her job as Head of Security but she didn’t have the details. “Don’t tell me! It’s a flower shop and you discovered a new passion for Ikebana!” 

_“No, I created my own private military company,” Alice told her. “I called it Red Queen.”_

“So, are offering bodyguard services now?” Claire joked. 

_Alice laughed. It was light and full of genuine amusement. “I don’t think the people I hired would fit the profile. I know most of them and I would go bankrupt in a month.” She turned serious. “I’m going to offer my services to NGOs.”_

“Well, I’m happy for you!” It was nice to talk to this less guarded version of Alice. “We should celebrate, my treat!” Claire offered. She wanted to know more but she could ask later.

“This Friday?” Alice questioned.

Claire smiled to herself. “Definitely!”

On Friday, Alice picked Claire up and they went to the restaurant together. Since Sherry was old enough to stay at home alone for a couple of hours, Claire left her with a pizza and a couple of movies to watch.

“You cleaned up nice.” Claire complimented Alice once they got out of the car. The woman was wearing a red button-up shirt and grey jeans. It was a nice change from her usual black attire.

Alice looked at Claire up and down. “You’re not so bad yourself.” She winked.

They settled in a private booth. When Claire made the reservation, she had asked for a table a bit away from the crowd so they could talk more freely. They looked at the menu and quickly ordered. Once their meals arrived, Claire asked the question burning on her tongue. “So, what pushed you to create your private company?”

“Fighting is the only thing I’m good at so I decided to put it to good use.” Alice shrugged. “The advantage of being my own boss is that I can choose who I want to protect.”

“Why NGOs?” Claire knew Alice regretted some things she had done in the past but helping NGOs was an interesting choice. 

“They’re mostly on the good side of the law. I want to protect their members while they do the important work. I’ll also have a special unit in case of a bio-terrorist attack.” Alice paused to take a bite of her food. “I want to try and change things for the better.”

Claire recognized those last words. She had used them the day Alice came clean about her past. She would never take credit for Alice’s decision; the woman had been trying to do better for a while but it was nice to see her opinion mattered. “There are the government and other agencies for that.”

“I’m not trying to replace them but the virus is out there so the more the merrier…” Alice trailed off. “We don’t know what’s going to happen in the future but I worked for Umbrella, I think it’s only right to help clean up the mess they left behind.”

When Claire came back from Canada, she didn’t tell Alice how she got hurt but she was pretty sure the woman knew. An agency like Alice’s would have been welcomed when she went to investigate the sand mine. It was a good idea and something to keep in mind for later. “Who are the people working for you?”

“Mercenaries,” Alice smirked, clearly knowing the type of reaction she would get.

Claire laughed. “Seriously?”

“They’re not bad people and they have all sorts of skills,” Alice argued. “They just want to make amends. I’m offering them a chance to do that.”

Claire felt a weird sense of pride. Things were looking up for both of them. She smiled at Alice with fondness.

Alice frowned. “What?”

“Nothing!” Claire shook her head. “I just think it’s great.”

Alice shrugged. “I haven’t done anything yet.”

Claire reached out and put her hand on top of Alice’s. “You helped a few people already, it’s not nothing.”

For the remainder of dinner, they talked about lighter things, laughing, and sharing little anecdotes about their pasts.

* * *

While Alice was driving her back to her apartment, Claire received a text from Rebecca. She had reconnected with her after Canada and they were now texting each other regularly. She read the message and laughed at the silly science joke.

“What’s funny?” Alice asked.

“It’s a message from an old friend,” Claire explained. “Well, my brother’s but kind of mine too by association. Rebecca doesn’t live here but she’s supposed to visit soon. She wants to meet Sherry.”

“Isn’t she becoming Miss popular!” Alice chuckled.

Claire laughed. “I guess I’ve mentioned Sherry just enough to intrigue Rebecca.”

Alice parked the car and walked Claire to her door. “Thank you for tonight. I had a good time.”

“Only good?” Claire raised an eyebrow.

“There’s always room for improvement,” Alice smirked and leaned against the wall.

Claire’s inside fluttered at the sudden closeness. She searched for her keys in her purse then looked at Alice. “Do you want to come in and say goodnight to Sherry?” She rested her back against the door.

“I would love to but I have an early meeting tomorrow.”

“Alright.” Claire smoothed the collar of Alice’s shirt and kept her hand on her collarbone. “Have a good night.”

“You too.” Alice smiled softly and kissed Claire’s forehead before taking a step back.

Claire tightened her grip on Alice’s shirt and pulled her closer again. “I really want to kiss you right now…” She murmured. It wasn’t the first she had the urge to kiss Alice but she couldn’t fight the feeling anymore.

Alice glanced at her lips. “Then maybe you should…” She locked eyes with Claire but didn’t move.

Claire caressed Alice’s cheek before closing the distance between their lips. She kissed her softly, savoring the moment. They were interrupted by a squeal coming from behind the door. She groaned. Sherry was watching them from the peephole. She must have heard them talk. “Sherry!”

“Sorry, sorry, don’t mind me! I’m going back to my room.” Sherry shouted before walking away.

Alice laughed. “I guess it’s my cue to leave.”

“Sorry.” Claire chuckled. “I’ll call you later.” She gave Alice a quick kiss before opening her door. She needed to have a talk with Sherry about spying on people.

* * *

Claire and Alice started going on dates after that. They had decided to take things slow but so far, it was going well. Sherry was the only one who knew about them. Claire wanted to see how her relationship with Alice would develop before telling anyone.

One day, to her surprise, Chris offered to watch over Sherry so Claire could enjoy a free evening. It warmed her heart to see her brother trying to be a part of Sherry’s life. It was also welcomed because it would allow her to spend more than a couple of hours with Alice.

Taking him up on his offer, Claire spent her next Saturday at Alice’s place but didn’t stay over to avoid questions. As far as her family knew, she was spending the day with her good colleagues Betty and Mikey.

When Claire went back to her apartment, she found Sherry sparring with Jill in the living room. The furniture had been pushed back against the walls to make room for them. Instead of greeting them, she leaned against the wall and watched them with an amused smile.

“If someone tries to grab your wrist, lift your hand and look at it as if you were looking at yourself in the mirror. Then grab your attacker’s wrist with your free hand and bend it while rotating your hips.” Chris showed Sherry the self-defense moves before stepping away. “Try with Jill.” Chris noticed his sister and joined her.

“When you said you wanted to spend some time with her, I didn’t realize you meant for a boot camp,” Claire said, not looking away from the girl.

Chris chuckled. “In my defense, she asked.”

“As long as nobody gets hurt, I’m fine,” Claire stated, glancing at her brother. If it helped Sherry feel safer, she was all for it.

“I did the same with you, you survived.” Chris playfully bumped his sister’s shoulder.

“Yeah and I often had bruises afterward.” Claire laughed, remembering how many times she had hit the ground while training with him.

Chris joined in the laughter. “Jill is gentler.” He looked at his sister. “How was your evening?”

“Good, I had fun. Thanks.” Claire was aware that it was a vague answer but thankfully, Jill joined them, preventing Chris from asking more questions.

“Your turn, big guy!” Jill declared, slapping him on the shoulder and pushing him toward Sherry. “The kid has energy.”

“She has!” Claire fought back a laugh when she saw Sherry pushing Chris. She was trying to make him fall but Chris wasn’t moving. “Sorry Chris dragged you into this.”

Jill shrugged. “I offered. He didn’t say anything but I could tell he was a bit anxious about today. He knows she’s important to you so…”

“I’ll talk to him but honestly, he shouldn’t be worried. She loves him, and you too.” Claire declared.

“She called me Aunt Jill earlier.”

Claire knew she wasn’t Sherry’s mother but they were family nonetheless. However, it dawned on her that the feeling might not be shared by everyone. “Is that a problem? Because I can ask her to…”

“No, no, it’s okay.” Jill waved off her worries. “I was surprised, is all. You should have seen Chris’s face when she called him uncle though.” She laughed. “Priceless!”

“I…” Claire heard Sherry scream and focused back on her. The girl was perched on Chris’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes while Chris bounced her up and down.

“Claire, help me!” Sherry called in between giggles.

“Aim for the beer-gut!” Claire advised, teasing her brother at the same time.

“Hey!” Chris glared at his sister. “I don’t have… ouch!” He put Sherry down. “She pinched me! That’s cheating.”

“Oh, you poor thing.” Jill cooed before bursting out laughing. The rest of the room quickly followed suit.

* * *

Alice was working in her new office. Well, working wasn’t really the right word, she was painting. She had bought an old fire station to turn it into her headquarters but the place needed work. She didn’t have any contract yet so she busied herself with some renovation work. Suddenly, her phone rang. She put her brush on the ladder and grabbed her it. It was Sherry. She frowned before answering.

_“Alice?”_

“Sherry, aren’t you supposed to be in class?” Alice was used to the girl’s random texts by now but Sherry never called unless it was important.

_“I was doing my check-up today,” Sherry told her. “That’s why I’m calling. It ended early and now I’m stuck here.”_

“Did you call Claire?” Alice didn’t mind helping but she didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. Claire was the girl’s guardian and she respected that. She was definitely not a parental figure and the last thing she wanted was to go behind Claire’s back. She had seen Claire angry and it was not something she wanted to experience again any time soon.

_“She can’t leave work yet and I don’t want to take the bus,” Sherry replied. “I’m tired and it’s pouring outside. Besides, it’s Friday!”_

Alice chuckled. ‘Teenagers’ problem’ she thought to herself. “So, you want me to pick you up?”

_“Yes, please. If you’re not busy…”_

“Are you sure Claire is okay with that?” Alice asked.

_Sherry sighed. “Yes!”_

“Alright. I’ll be there soon.” Alice said before hanging up. She remembered what it was like to be a teen so she dialed Claire’s number to make sure it was okay. The woman didn’t answer so she left her a voicemail. She couldn’t believe how much her life had changed. Months ago, she was bickering with Claire, joking about picking up Sherry after school, and here she was, doing exactly that. She couldn’t really complain, it was more than she had ever expected from life. She knew she didn’t deserve it but if the people she cared about were willing to give her a chance, she wasn’t about to ruin it. She went to her office and grabbed her jacket before moving back to the garage area. She called for her employee’s attention. “Ocampo?” The woman had offered her help to renovate the place and Alice couldn’t really refuse. “Rain? Rain, bring your ass down here!” She glanced at her watch. 4 PM. She needed to hurry if she didn’t want to be stuck in traffic.

The woman slid down the pole. “You know, I agreed to help you fix this dump, the least you could do is be nice!”

“It’s not a dump and you offered.” Alice pointed out. She had met Rain when they were both working for Umbrella. It was a stain on a résumé that would scare away anyone else but Alice knew Rain needed a second chance as much as she did. She had been glad to hear Rain had survived Raccoon City, not that she was surprised because she was a tough bitch. Alice didn’t want to hire people solely on their skills, she wanted to be able to trust them. With a second in command like Rain, she knew it wouldn’t be a problem.

Rain shrugged. “Still.”

“Why don’t you complain to HR?” Alice smirked.

“We both know the head of HR is a bitch. What’s her name again? Oh right, Alice something.” Rain rolled her eyes. “Anyway, what do you want?”

Alice chuckled. “I have to go. Just lock the door once you're done.”

“Hot date?” Rain wiggled her eyebrows.

“None of your business,” Alice stated as she walked toward the door. They were friends somehow but it didn’t mean she wanted to share her private life with her.

Rain snorted. “You used to be fun, you know that? What happened to you? Is it because of the weather? Are your joints aching, grandma? Do you want some tea?”

Not turning around, Alice flipped her the middle finger and left.

* * *

Alice picked Sherry up and drove her to Claire’s apartment. She parked the car and followed her inside to make sure she was safe. She knew Sherry was a teenager and didn’t need her to hold her hand to climb a few flights of stairs but it was for her own peace of mind. However, when they reached their floor, the door of the apartment was half-opened. Alice pulled out her gun and asked Sherry to stay put while she checked inside. She carefully entered and scanned the place. Her eyes fell on a small brunette standing in the middle of the kitchen. She silently approached her. “Who the fuck are you and what the fuck are you doing here?”

The woman turned around and lifted her hands up. “Don’t shoot! My name is Rebecca Chambers, I’m a friend of Claire’s.” She looked at Alice suspiciously. “And who are you?”

Sherry appeared next to Alice, making her groan. “I told you to wait outside!” Alice said sternly.

“It’s okay, she’s Claire’s friend.” Sherry put her hand on Alice’s arm, forcing her to lower her gun. “I thought you were supposed to visit next month.” She told Rebecca.

“Change of plan. Claire knows I’m here. I stopped at her office and she gave me a key.” Rebecca eyed Alice warily.

Alice turned her attention to Sherry. “I thought you said you called Claire. Why didn’t she tell you about her?”

“Huh, well. I did call Claire but she told me to stay and do my homework until she was done. I was bored so I called you.” Sherry smiled sheepishly.

Alice sighed, touching her forehead. She was definitely going to get an earful for that one. “Sherry…” She slid her gun back into its holster.

“Sorry.” Sherry grimaced before smiling. “Anyway.” She stepped closer to Rebecca. “I’m Sherry and this is Alice. She’s a bit over-protective and trigger happy so forgive her for the whole gun thing.”

“It’s alright.” Rebecca smiled. “I think none of us was expecting someone to be here.”

“I’m going to try and call Claire again,” Alice announced.

“She’s going to be mad at you.” Sherry patted Alice’s arm in empathy.

“Thanks for the support,” Alice said drily. “But don’t think you’re off the hook.” She made her way to Claire’s room and closed the door behind her. She called Claire and this time, the woman answered.

_“Alice! Sorry I was in a meeting, what’s up?”_

“Claire. So here’s the deal,” Alice said with no preamble. “Sherry asked me to pick her up and I did because she said you were fine with it but then we found someone called Rebecca Chambers in your apartment and now I’m not sure what you want me to do.”

_“Jesus, this girl…” Claire groaned. “I’m sorry. I told her to wait but apparently, she didn’t listen. I hope she didn't take you away from something important.”_

“No, I was doing some painting. I’m sorry, I tried to call you.” Alice was glad Claire wasn’t angry but they would have to talk about it later in case the situation arose again.

“It’s fine. I’ll talk to her.” Claire sighed. “And about Rebecca, she’s staying with us this weekend. I would have told you sooner but it was a last-minute change of plan.”

“That’s what she said.” Alice hesitated. “Does she… know who I am to you?” They had agreed to keep their relationship hush-hush for now so she didn’t want to raise any suspicion.

_“Not really. I mean she knows you helped me with Sherry but that’s it.” There were noises in the background and Claire cleared her throat. “Listen, I have to go but you don’t have to stay. I’ll head home soon; they should be fine until then. And don’t worry, I’ll have a chat with our pretty little liar.”_

“Good luck with that. Bye.” Alice didn’t plan on going anywhere. Unlike what Sherry said, it wasn’t that she was over-protective, she just didn’t want anyone to manipulate the girl like Simmons did. She exited the bedroom and made her way to the living room where Sherry and Rebecca were talking on the couch. Alice had never been good with manners but after aiming at Claire’s friend, she felt like she should at least try. She cleared her throat. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Water would be nice.” Rebecca smiled politely.

Alice nodded and went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water and a couple of glasses. When she came back, there was a medical bag on the coffee table and Rebecca was listening to Sherry’s heartbeat with a stethoscope. “What are you doing?”

“It’s fine, she’s a doctor,” Sherry reassured. “I told her to do my check-up now so I can enjoy my weekend.”

“I’m not a doctor yet and definitely not a general practitioner. I’m a virologist.” Rebecca looked at Sherry. “Does she know about you? I know you said she was a friend but I don’t want to share anything you’re not comfortable with.”

“Yes, you can tell her.” Sherry smiled.

“Claire told me what happened a few years ago so I offered to check on Sherry,” Rebecca informed Alice.

“Why?” Alice was aware that Claire didn’t trust the government but Sherry was healthy so there was no need for more tests. Maybe she should have asked more questions.

“That’s why.” Sherry took a pair of scissors in Rebecca’s bag and stabbed her hand with it. She let out a yelp of pain.

“Don’t!” Alice shouted but it was too late. She watched in confusion as Sherry pulled the scissors out and her wound closed itself.

“Fascinating…” Rebecca breathed out.

Alice knew Sherry had been infected then cured but she didn’t know there were side effects. Simmons had kept his research secret but now it all made sense. “Don’t do that again, even if you can heal.” She really needed to have a conversation with Claire. She understood why Claire hadn’t said anything but even if Simmons was out of the picture, there were still people out there who would love to use Sherry for their own gain. They needed to make sure the girl would stay safe.

Rebecca gently took the scissors and put them on the table. “She’s right, you might be able to heal but you’re not invincible.” She focused on Alice. “You don’t seem surprised.”

“She used to work for Umbrella.” Sherry blurted out. Her eyes went wide when she realized what she had just said. “Oops…”

“Sherry!” Alice glared at her. Claire told Sherry not to tell anyone about their connection to Umbrella to avoid trouble but clearly it wasn’t an easy task. She liked the girl but she had a big mouth sometimes. She saw Rebecca step back half a step and glance at the scissors on the coffee table. She raised her hands. “I’m not an enemy.” She was used to this type of reaction. She could see the distrust in Leon’s eyes every time she was around Sherry even if he thought she was just Claire’s friend. She didn’t even want to imagine how bad it would get the day Claire would tell everyone they were dating. She was ready to face whatever would come her way but she already knew Claire’s brother wouldn’t take it well if he knew about her past.

“No, please, don’t be scared. Alice is a friend. Claire is her…” Sherry was trying to reassure Rebecca without revealing too much. She knew people wouldn’t understand and she felt bad for sharing that piece of information. “I mean, I don’t know what I’m allowed to say but Claire trusts her and so do I.”

“I can see you care about Sherry but I would feel better if you could give me your gun,” Rebecca announced.

“You really think I’m going to hand it to you.” Alice laughed humorlessly. “I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself, sweetheart.” She knew she was condescending but Claire wasn’t here and she didn’t like being told what to do by a stranger.

Rebecca raised her chin and locked eyes with Alice. “I know how to use it.”

“Do you now?” Alice smirked.

“Alice, please, don’t…” Sherry requested. “I don’t want you two to fight about me. Can we just finish my check-up and move on?”

Alice was ready to keep fighting but when she noticed how upset Sherry was, she sighed. “Fine.” She took her gun from her shoulder holster, removed the magazine, and put it in her back pocket before giving the weapon to Rebecca. She was willing to play nice for Sherry’s sake but it didn’t mean she was going to put herself in danger. If things went downhill, she still had a knife in her boot.

Rebecca slid the gun into her waistband and wordlessly went back to her work. She checked Sherry’s blood pressure while Alice sat on the couch, watching her. “What do you know about me?” Rebecca asked after a while.

“Just that you’re a friend of her brother and hers too.” Alice had no reason to lie about that so she answered honestly.

“What do you know about her brother then?” Rebecca questioned. She reached into her bag to get a syringe for a blood sample.

“What is this, 21 questions?” Alice rolled her eyes.

Rebecca ignored her and smiled at Sherry. “I’m sorry, sweetie but I need a bit of your blood. Is that alright?”

“Yeah, it’s not like it would be a first.” Sherry rolled her sleeve higher.

Alice watched as the woman placed a tourniquet on the girl’s bicep, inserted a syringe into a vein near Sherry’s crook of the elbow, and then slowly drew blood into a vial. “What are you looking for exactly?”

“Nothing. I just want to make sure she's good and healthy.” Rebecca replied. She carefully placed the vial into a tin box. “You still haven’t answered my question.” She put a band-aid on Sherry’s arm. “All done.” She smiled.

“I need to use the restroom. If you’ll excuse me.” Sherry stood up and left the room.

“I don’t think we should discuss Claire’s business without her,” Alice said once they were alone. She really wished Claire was with them right now. She knew Chris was fighting Umbrella since the Raccoon City incident and she told Claire as much when they rekindled their relationship.

Rebecca turned around to look at Alice and crossed her arms. “So you know things?”

Alice sighed but didn’t answer. She wanted to go home but she didn’t want to leave Sherry alone with a doctor, even if she was Claire’s friend. She didn’t really care if people liked her or not but Claire valued the opinion of her friends and family so she didn’t want to make things worse than they already were.

“Your silence speaks volumes.” Rebecca shook her head. She stepped closer to the coffee table and put all her medical equipment back into her bag.

After a few minutes of tensed silence, Alice stood up. “Listen…”

“I was there,” Rebecca stated.

“What?” Alice frowned.

Rebecca locked eyes with Alice. “The night it all started, back in July ‘98, I was there. I was working for the Raccoon City Police, the STARS. I was part of the Bravo Team as a medic. We were supposed to investigate the Arklay Mountains following a series of animal attacks and cannibalistic murders. We got more than we were bargaining for. I discovered the labs, the sick experimentations, I saw everything Umbrella created and it came at a cost because I’m the only survivor of my team.”

“I’m sorry.” Alice didn’t know what to say but her apology was genuine. She knew she wasn’t responsible for the outbreak but Umbrella had hurt a lot of people and she felt guilty for not having been able to stop them.

Rebecca stared into the distance; her eyes wet with unshed tears. “So, you see…I know about Umbrella.” She looked back at Alice. “I’m not trying to be rude but I’m having a hard time understanding why Claire of all people would want to be your friend.”

“Because she’s not like them!” Sherry declared, joining them back. “She wasn’t a scientist like my parents. She tried to stop Umbrella. Maybe you don’t think it’s enough but I do. Alice helped me and Claire and she’s been there for me ever since.”

Alice stared at Sherry. She had given her a short version of her time in the company but since she didn’t want to find excuses, she hadn’t mentioned trying to take down Umbrella. Claire must have filed some blanks. “It’s alright, Sherry. After what happened to her, you can’t blame Rebecca for not wanting me around.” She was weirdly touched by the girl’s heartfelt show of support. She knew Claire wasn’t Sherry’s mother but sometimes she could see parts of her in the girl.

“But it’s not fair!” Sherry argued. “How can you be a better person if everyone keeps judging you for your past mistakes?”

“It takes time.” Someone said. They all looked to the side to see Claire. “Time, work, patience, and a lot of other things.” Claire continued. “Not everyone deserves a second chance but some people really do.” She glanced at Alice.

“Claire? I thought you were stuck at work.” Alice could kiss her for that surprised entrance.

“A little birdie told me I should hurry home.” Claire winked at Sherry.

“I should go.” Alice could tell Rebecca had a lot of questions and she didn’t want to be there to hear them. She took her gun back before moving closer to Claire. She whispered in her ear. “We need to talk about Sherry.”

“I know.” Claire squeezed Alice’s arm. “I’ll call you as soon as I can.” She smiled.

Alice nodded. Claire was about to have a long conversation with her friend so she could wait. She trusted her not to reveal too much about her past. She waved goodbye at Sherry and left.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N : They announced a CG series called Resident Evil : Infinite Darkness with Claire and I haven’t been this excited since the remake of RE2 (cause RE8 doesn’t sound great). It’s ‘old Claire’, circa RE Rev2 so I hope they won’t mess up the characterization like they did in the game but I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully, they won’t ruin it with forced interactions or I don’t know. The CG movies were great but here it’s Netflix, so who knows, it can go both ways. It’s apparently set after Village, I don’t know who will be there apart from Leon and Claire. I wish Jill could be apparently it’s too much to ask and I’m already grateful to have something about Claire. It’s for 2021 so I guess all we can do is wait and hope for the best while expecting the worst!

Claire and Rebecca had been talking for a while now and Claire was starting to get tired. She could understand the woman’s worries but she couldn’t change the past. One by one, she answered Rebecca’s questions, giving just enough details not to raise any suspicion. She didn’t want to share too much because it was Alice’s life and not everyone should know about it. There was bad blood between the people she loved and Umbrella. It would never change but Claire wanted her people to like Alice without judging her for her former life. It would be impossible if everyone knew, especially Chris and Jill. At least Rebecca was somehow understanding…

“That’s a LOT to take in.” Rebecca sighed, sitting on Claire’s bed. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“To avoid the mess we’re currently in!” Claire pointed out, although it was too late now. “Alice wasn’t supposed to be here and you weren’t supposed to visit until next month. I thought I would have time to talk to her…”

“I’m sorry. I’m glad you told me though. Well, Sherry did, but you know what I mean.” Rebecca said. “She’s a great kid.”

Claire chuckled. “She is, but she really needs to think before she speaks.”

“She’s a teenager.” Rebecca shrugged. “Who doesn’t make rash decisions at that age?”

“Oh, so little miss genius was rebellious in her teens too?” Claire joked, sitting next to her friend.

“No.” Rebecca laughed. “I was quite shy and I didn’t have a lot of friends. Nobody wants to talk to you when you’re first of your class and years younger than anyone else.”

Claire smiled sadly at her. She could imagine it wasn’t always easy for Rebecca when she was younger. Thankfully, things had changed for the better. “I would have been your friend.”

“You’re sweet, thank you!” Rebecca gave her a side hug. “So Alice… Is she helping you with Sherry or…”

“Not really, she just cares about her…” Claire didn’t know what else to say. She hadn’t asked Alice to do anything in particular for Sherry, the woman was just happy to help if needed.

“I’m still surprised that she’s your friend after…”

“Don’t get me wrong, I hate Umbrella,” Claire interrupted her. “Maybe not as much as you, my brother, and all the former STARS members but she’s not Wesker or Sherry’s parents. She just wants redemption, a fresh start.”

“Are you sure we can trust her?” Rebecca asked after a pause.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Claire assured her.

“Why?”

“Because she’s not just anyone, she’s… well, she’s my girlfriend.” Claire blurted out.

Rebecca frowned. “What?”

Claire sighed. It was the first time she was saying it out loud. “She’s… We’re together.” She wanted her brother to be the first to know but maybe it was easier to start with someone she wasn’t so close to.

“Okay…”

Claire stared at her friend, waiting for her to keep talking but silence settled in the room instead. “Okay?”

“I mean, I’m happy for you,” Rebecca rushed to say. “But it still doesn’t mean you can trust her blindly, especially if it’s recent.”

“Urgh, why do you have to be so smart about everything?” Claire groaned. “You have a point but we talked about it a lot and she risked her life to help Sherry. It’s enough for me.” She didn’t want to mention the fight she had with Alice about honesty. The trust was coming back and Alice hadn’t given her any reason to doubt her since. She was still cautious, and probably would be for a while but she couldn’t question everything all the time or it would never work. “I know Alice can be a bit rough around the edges, trust me, we butted head at first but if you can look past it, she’s really great. If I invite her for dinner tomorrow, can you try and get to know her better?”

“I can try.” Rebecca gave her a small smile.

“That’s all I’m asking.” Claire stood up. “Now, how does pizza sound for dinner?”

“Sounds great!”

“By the way, don’t tell Chris.” It was too soon to tell him and Claire wanted to wait for the right time. “Please.”

“I won’t,” Rebecca promised.

Later that evening, once Claire was in bed, she called Alice and they agreed to talk face to face once Rebecca would go back home.

The next day, the dinner with Alice and Rebecca went well. Despite getting off on the wrong foot, the women ended up on a friendly note.

* * *

It was late and Claire and Alice were lying on the couch together, watching a movie. Alice had been away for several days for work so Claire asked her to spend the night at her place to catch up.

Claire cuddled closer, lying half of top of Alice and sighed in contentment. “I think it’s time to introduce you to everyone.” She said after a while.

“You think?” Alice started playing with Claire’s hair.

“Yes,” Claire hummed. “We could do something low key, like a BBQ.”

“You don’t really have a garden.” Alice pointed out.

“No, but my friend Barry is renting a house an hour from here. He’s still in Canada but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if we crash there for a day. I can call him and ask.” Claire pulled away slightly to look at Alice’s face. “Are you okay with that?”

“I mean, it’s up to you.” Alice shrugged. “They’re your family and friends…”

“I know but… We’ve been together for months and I’m tired of hiding. I’m surrounded by ex-cops, soldiers and secret agents, I can tell they suspect something…” Claire sighed. Sherry had spent another Saturday at Chris’ place and when they spared, the girl pulled a move Alice had taught her, raising questions. Thankfully, Sherry told him Alice was a friend but Chris knew she wouldn’t entrust Sherry to just anyone so Alice had to be someone important. “I don’t know… I guess I just want them to know the woman I love.” She felt Alice tense beneath her.

Alice stared at her, fighting a smile. “What did you say?”

Claire sat up. “That I’m tired of hiding?”

“No, not that, you… You love me?” Alice’s smile slowly grew wider.

“I… Shit!” Claire rubbed her forehead. Feelings had grown in the past few months but it wasn’t the way she wanted to say it.

Alice chuckled. “That bad?”

“Yes, no, I mean…” Claire inhaled deeply and took Alice’s hands in hers. “I lov…”

“I love you too,” Alice said first as if to reassure Claire that the feeling was mutual.

Claire laughed happily. She pulled Alice closer and kissed her. As the kisses grew more heated, she moved to straddle Alice until she remembered where they were. “Let’s take this to the bedroom…”

* * *

The next morning, Claire was woken up early by a phone ringing. “Alice, your phone,” Claire mumbled, pulling the cover on top of her head. It was the weekend and she wanted to sleep a bit longer.

“It’s not mine.” Alice kissed Claire’s shoulder and sat up.

Claire groaned. With a sigh, she pushed the cover away and looked at the clothes scattered on the floor. “Where the fuck is my phone?”

Alice stood up and quickly found it in Claire’s jeans. She glanced at the caller ID. “Rebecca.” She stated. Claire nodded so she answered. “Hello, doctor.”

_There was a pause. “Alice?”_

“Yes,” Alice said. “Isn’t it a bit early for a friendly call, doctor?”

_“Sorry but I have Sherry’s results, is Claire around?” Rebecca asked._

“Yes.” Alice handed the phone to Claire. “About Sherry.” She mouthed. She gathered the clothes on the floor and threw them on the chair in the corner. She grabbed Claire’s robe on the back of the chair and put it on. “So sexy.” She whispered mockingly before laughing quietly.

Claire stuck her tongue out at Alice. Yes, her robe was old and definitely not sexy but it was comfortable. She focused back on her phone call. “Rebecca, hi!”

“I’ll go make breakfast,” Alice announced. “Pancakes?” She waited for Claire to nod before leaving the bedroom.

_“Hey, Claire.” Rebecca greeted her cheerfully. “Sorry I woke you up.”_

“It’s fine,” Claire reassured her. “Are you calling about Sherry’s test results?”

_“Yes. Sorry, it took a while but I wanted to double-check everything.” Rebecca started. “She’s alright. The virus is still in her blood but except for the regenerative ability, there is no other mutation so far.”_

Claire sighed in relief. She knew the government’s scientists were keeping an eye on Sherry’s health but she didn’t trust them to tell her if something was wrong. Rebecca was her friend and she felt better knowing Sherry would have her as a personal doctor. “I’m glad to hear that. Is it curable?”

_“I doubt it,” Rebecca answered apologetically. “But after what happened to her, I guess it’s not so bad. I’d still like to check on her every now and then to see if there’s any evolution if you don’t mind.”_

Claire nodded even though her friend couldn’t see her. “Yes, I actually wanted to ask you about that. If you could monitor her health, I would appreciate it.” Sherry might never get sick but the virus, whether they wanted it or not, was in her blood.

_“Of course.” Rebecca paused. “So… is Alice living with you now?”_

Claire laughed. “No, she’s just here for the weekend.” She heard noises coming from the kitchen, followed by laughter. It looked like Sherry was awake too. “Sherry is up. I should probably go before they set the place on fire.”

_“Okay.” Rebecca laughed. “Have a nice weekend.”_

“You too, and thank you again!” Claire said her goodbye and hung up. She got out of bed and started walking toward the door until she realized she was naked. Since she couldn’t wear her comfy robe, she grabbed a t-shirt and some shorts and put them on. She needed to tell Alice to leave some clothes in her dresser for when she stayed over. 

* * *

It took a while to organize a gathering with her family. They all had different schedules and little free time. After some consideration, Claire decided not to invite Leon. She knew he wasn’t a fan of Alice so it was better to tell him later over coffee. Rebecca couldn’t come since she was living too far but she already knew so it was not a big issue.

To Claire’s surprise, Barry had traveled with Moira for the occasion. He wanted his family to stay in Canada for the moment but with a pied-a-terre in America, he could now help Chris and spend time with them. Barry also brought his daughter because he wanted her to meet Sherry. Despite the five years difference, Claire knew the girls would be fast friends.

Claire was now in Barry’s kitchen, putting all the food she had bought in the fridge. She missed living in a house. Since her parents died, she had always moved from an apartment to another and she wished she had a place to call home, somewhere you couldn’t hear your neighbor sneeze like they were standing right next to you. At least the self-appointed concierge in her building had left her alone since their last tensed encounter. Until now, she didn’t really have a reason to look for a bigger place but now that she had Sherry and a stable income, maybe it was time to look into it. She still had her share of her parents’ life insurance and even though it wasn’t much, it could definitely help if she decided to take that step. Her musings were interrupted by Barry.

“The BBQ is on!” Barry declared with his ‘Kiss the cook’ apron. “Your girl had a special trick to speed up the process.”

“Brownie points for her then?” Claire teased.

“BBQ is a serious business so I guess.” Barry smiled at her. “I missed you, little bird.”

“I missed you too.” Claire hugged him. “I’m glad you’re here.” She pulled away with a smile still on her face. Barry was a father figure when she grew up, always making sure Chris was taking good care of her. It was hard to see him move to Canada but she understood. He wanted to protect his family and she couldn’t blame him for that.

“I have to be honest, when you called me, I thought you were planning a birthday party since you’ll be 23 soon but no… you wanted us to meet your new beau.” Barry patted her shoulder.

Claire snorted. “Alice is definitely not a beau. She’s a belle.” She joked, knowing full well Alice wasn’t that type. “And don’t call me the beast or your favorite maple bacon goes back to the fridge.”

“Does she, you know… make you happy?” Barry asked a bit awkwardly.

“She does.”

Barry nodded. “Is she good with Sherry?”

“Yes, and Sherry loves her.” Claire laughed. It looked like Barry was giving her a bit of a dad talk but she didn’t mind. “Don’t worry, okay? I wouldn’t introduce her if it wasn’t serious.”

“I’m not the one you should worry about. Your brother is gonna grill that poor girl!” Barry chuckled.

“Urgh, I know but I told him to behave.” Claire had asked Chris to be nice to Alice and avoid the big brother act but she wasn’t holding her breath.

Barry laughed. “Ah, we both know that man never listens to orders!”

“Well, he better or no dessert for him!” Claire jested.

“No dessert for who?” Chris appeared in the kitchen with Jill in tow.

“You if you don’t behave today.” Claire playfully glared at him before hugging him hello, then doing the same with Jill.

Chris saluted. “I’ll be on my best behavior, ma’am.” He moved past Claire to shake Barry’s hand.

Jill laughed but quickly covered it with a cough when Chris scowled at her. “Sure, totally believable.”

After a quick chit-chat, they all made their way to the garden. Alice was sitting at the table, watching the girls play badminton with an amused look. “Alice?” Claire called. Once Alice was standing next to her, Claire put her hand on her girlfriend’s back and did the introduction. “This is my brother Chris and our good friend Jill.”

Alice shook their hands with a polite smile. “Nice to meet you both.”

“Likewise.” Chris nodded. “So, what do you do for a living, Alice?”

“Wow, right into it,” Jill commented, already entertained by the exchange.

“I have my own private security company,” Alice answered.

“For how long?” Chris asked.

“It’s pretty recent,” Alice replied without missing a beat.

Chris tilted his head. “Oh, so what were you…”

“Why don’t we keep the interrogation for later?” Claire interrupted him. “I don’t want to eat at 4 PM so you should help Barry with the BBQ, please.” She pushed him to force him to go away. She knew her brother had questions but she thought he would at least wait until they were all settled at the table before asking them. She should have known better.

“He’s a bit over-protective,” Jill stated. “A real mama-bear.”

Alice snorted. “So I’ve heard.”

“Do you have siblings?” Jill questioned casually.

“For God’s sake, Jill,” Claire groaned. “Not you too!”

Jill raised her hands innocently. “I’m just trying to know her better.”

“It’s fine.” Alice smiled at Claire before looking back at Jill. “And no, I’m an only child.”

“Come and help me with the drinks.” Claire grabbed Alice’s hand and led her to the kitchen. “Sorry.”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle.” Alice shrugged. “Don’t worry.”

Once they all settled at the table to eat, everyone relaxed and the mood switched to a more joyful one. Barry quickly shared memories from the time they all used to gather at his house on weekends.

When the conversations slowed down, Alice leaned closer to Claire. “So apart from Boy-scout, are you only surrounded by men built like a tank?”

Claire laughed. “Is that intimidating?”

Alice snorted. “Please, I can take them both without breaking a sweat.” She chuckled as Claire laughed louder, bringing attention to them. “What? You don’t believe me?”

“If you say so…” Claire shook her head. “Why don’t you go get us more beers, tough girl?”

Alice stood up and bowed exuberantly. “Yes, milady.”

“Thank you, dear.” Claire smiled at her.

* * *

Alice was in the kitchen, grabbing a few beers from the pack in the fridge when she heard someone clear their throat. She turned around and was met by Chris. She sighed and put the beers on the table.

“Alice.” Chris nodded.

“Christopher? Chris?” Alice already knew the answer but if the man wanted to be all serious, she could play along.

“Chris is fine.” The man stated.

“Okay.” He stared at her for a moment but when he didn’t say anything Alice spoke. “Do you need something?”

“I wanted to talk to you actually.” Chris stood in front of her, squaring his shoulders.

“Are you about to give me the ‘brother talk’?” Alice knew it was coming but she was still surprised he had been able to hold off for so long.

The corners of Chris’ lips twitched higher. “I guess you’re smarter than you look.”

“Well I heard Claire got the brain and you got the brawl,” Alice smirked.

“Did you now?”

Alice could have sworn he looked amused for a split second. She wasn’t really worried about him but she knew how important he was to Claire so she decided to play nice. “Go ahead, I’m listening.”

“I’ve done a bit of research on you, Alice Abernathy.” Chris crossed his arms, his muscles flexing against the fabric of his sleeves.

“So that’s where Claire got her intel?” Alice hummed to herself. After meeting Leon, she was convinced it was him who had helped Claire but maybe it wasn’t.

Chris ignored the comment and continued. “Trained in combat, you worked for the government for a few years.”

“If you want, I can send you my résumé,” Alice smirked, playing nice didn’t mean she had to turn down the sass. “Might be faster.”

“The thing about résumés is that people tend to embellish the truth.” Chris declared.

Alice raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that the point?”

“Personal files, on the contrary, just give us facts. I find it weird that yours is practically empty.” Chris locked eyes with Alice.

“Maybe it’s classified. Or above your pay grade.” Alice shrugged. The last time she checked, her file didn’t mention anything about Umbrella despite Simmons’ attempt and she wanted it to stay that way. She had given Claire the choice to tell everyone about her past or not, but her girlfriend wanted to wait until they knew her better.

“Convenient.” Chris snorted, unamused.

Alice sighed. The conversation wasn’t going anywhere. “Look…”

“Who are you, really?” Chris cut her off, taking a step closer.

“You said it yourself,” Alice grabbed a beer on the table and twisted the cap. “I’m Alice Abernathy, I’m…”

“Cut the bullshit!” Chris interrupted her once again.

Alice smiled. The Redfield siblings were quite similar sometimes. She could still remember Claire telling her the same thing when they were fighting. She took a sip of her beer.

Chris arched an eyebrow at the woman’s reaction. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. Your sister told me the same thing once, several times actually.” Alice chuckled.

“I’m losing patience here.” Chris noticed Alice glance behind him to see if someone was coming. He smiled. “Jill is keeping her busy.”

“I should have known. You guys make a good team, I’ll give you that.” As entertaining as their little chat was, Alice was starting to get tired of it. It didn’t look like Chris believed her and as much as she wanted to make a good impression, it was definitely not working. “Listen, Claire knows who I am and she’s fine with it so as far as I’m concerned, that’s what matters. The rest is none of your business.”

“You are dating my sister, of course it’s my business,” Chris argued.

“She’s not a kid anymore,” Alice reminded him. “I’m pretty sure she can make her own choices without chaperoning.”

“Not when she doesn’t have all the cards in hand,” Chris interjected.

“Hey!” Sherry walked into the room. “Claire sent me. What’s taking you so long guys?”

Alice tilted her head with a big smirk on her face. She looked at Chris. “Nothing.” She grabbed the beers and smiled at Sherry. “Let’s go back to Claire!”

* * *

Later when everyone was cleaning up the garden, Chris approached Alice again. She kept cleaning the barbecue grill without looking at him. “Did Claire send you to apologize?” She hadn’t said anything about what happened in the kitchen but Claire knew anyway.

Chris shrugged. “Something like that…”

“Are you going to?” Alice looked at him this time.

“No.,” Chris said simply.

Alice sighed. It was clear that he wasn’t ready to drop the subject so she decided to be truthful. “I know you don’t like me very much and honestly, I don’t really care but I do care about Claire. I know I don’t deserve her; you don’t have to remind me.” She put the cleaning brush down.

“At least that’s something we can agree on.” Chris handed her a towel.

Alice nodded in thanks and wiped her hands clean. “I know she’s better than…”

“Us.” Chris finished for her.

“I love Claire,” Alice stated. “I’m not one for big speeches so I won’t try to convince you. I just want you to know that I plan on protecting her and Sherry, even if Claire insists she doesn’t need protection.”

Chris snorted. “She’s no damsel in distress.” He looked toward the side of the garden where Claire and Jill were playing with the kids. “I watched you two while we were eating and for what it’s worth, I haven’t seen my sister so happy in a long time.” He switched his focus to Alice. “I’m going to share something with you. Claire prides herself in being nice to people, you know, unless they’re bad and then they better hide.” He shook his head fondly. “But she doesn’t let people in easily, because once they’re in… She’s too familiar with loss to allow just anyone. So, I hope you’re serious because…”

“I am,” Alice assured him. It was a first for her, these feelings, but she wanted things to work with Claire.

Chris studied her for a moment as if he was trying to detect any sign of lies. “I guess you’re not so bad if she’s with you. At least, that’s what Jill said.”

“High praise coming from her.” Alice hadn’t talked to Jill much but after the stories she heard during lunch, it was clear that she was one hell of a woman.

“Yes.” Chris offered his hand. “So… I suppose I can give you a chance.”

Alice took his hand and shook it. “Thank you.” She gave him the first genuine smile of the day.

Chris tugged her closer. “But if you’re playing games and hurt her in any way…” He towered over her, his threat hanging in the air.

“Duly noted.” Alice nodded. She wasn’t planning on leaving Claire any time soon but it was fair game. “I’ll even let you borrow my gun.”

Chris chuckled darkly and slapped her in the back. “Oh, that would be too painless.”

“You’re ready, babe?” Claire asked as she joined them.

“Yes.” Alice smiled. She was definitely not going anywhere, at least not without Claire and Sherry. She would follow them to the end of the world if they wanted to, not that she would admit it out loud to anyone.

* * *

Alice met Chris and Jill again when they celebrated Claire’s birthday, then again, a couple of months later for Sherry’s. Things were better between them; they were far from being friends but they were definitely friendlier so it was a good start.

She was spending more and more time at Claire’s place lately. It wasn’t really on purpose but she was trying to be there for Sherry and it was nice to have someone to eat dinner with. Somehow, she was still waiting for the other shoe to drop so she tried not to enjoy it too much.

Alice was cooking dinner while Sherry was in her bedroom and Claire in the bathroom. Cooking was also something she was doing more and more. She was far from being good at it but it was quite enjoyable. She felt her work phone vibrating and looked at the caller ID. It was the leader of the team she sent to South America. She didn’t go with them due to a mountain of paperwork. It was really the downside of being your own boss but at least she could choose her missions and schedule. “Can someone keep an eye on the pot, please? I have to take a call.” She said loudly to no one in particular before answering and going to the bedroom. When she came back in the kitchen, she smelled burning. “Shit!” She turned off the stove and looked at the pasta. The sauce was dry but it was salvageable. She put the food on three plates and called Claire and Sherry.

Claire appeared behind her, hair still wet. “Thanks for dinner.” She kissed her cheek then sat at the table.

“Thanks, Alice.” Sherry sat down and quickly started digging into her food.

“Okay, slow down,” Claire told her amused.

Sherry swallowed her food then smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, I’m starving.”

Claire tasted the food then made a face. She coughed before taking a big gulp of her water.

“What? It’s not good?” Alice frowned. She took a bite of the food and shrugged. It was alright.

“No, I mean… Are you sure you have Italian blood?” Claire joked. She looked at Sherry and explained. “Her mom was Italian.”

“Really?” Sherry perked up at the information. “Isn’t it like, a cardinal sin to screw up pasta?”

Alice flashed them a look of mock affront as they laughed at her. “Hey! I got a phone call, and I asked someone to keep an eye on the food while I was answering. Nobody is listening to me in this place, _mannaggia!_ ”

Claire raised her hands in a show of playful defense. “I was in the shower.”

“I was doing my homework,” Sherry said with a smile.

“So that’s your fault too!” Alice ignored them and forked a big portion of pasta into her mouth. She wasn’t mad but it was fun to pretend that she was.

“Oh, you poor baby.” Claire cooed before laughing. “We’re teasing you, it’s not so bad.”

“Yeah and I’m hungry anyway.” Sherry shrugged.

“Yeah, yeah.” Alice chuckled. “That’s what you get for helping.”

They all laughed before eating in comfortable silence for a while. Once Sherry was done with her plate, she said. “So, I’m 16 now. Who’s going to teach me how to drive?”

“Huh…” Claire glanced toward Alice before looking back at Sherry. “I mean, is it something you want to do soon?”

“Well, I’m gonna start public high school at the end of the summer,” Sherry explained. “It would be nice to have a car.”

“You know, even if you pass your driver’s license, I won’t be able to buy you a car right away,” Claire answered gently.

“I know but… maybe I could work somewhere to help you pay for it,” Sherry suggested.

Claire reached out and patted Sherry’s hand. “High school is going to be a big change so I’d rather you focus on that first.”

Alice listened to the exchange with attention. Even if Claire had told her she could express her opinion regarding Sherry’s upbringing, she was always trying not to overstep. She could understand why Sherry wanted her own car. Starting public school after being home-schooled for so long was a big change and it was probably reassuring to know that she could have a bit of control over the situation. “I can teach her the basics and you can take over once we’re sure she’s not going to run over anyone.” Alice offered to Claire. She didn’t mind buying Sherry a car too but it was something she needed to discuss with Claire first. Since she was there often, she insisted on buying most of their groceries to contribute but a car was a big thing. She knew Claire was already anxious about the whole thing so it could wait.

“Ah ah, very funny.” Sherry rolled her eyes.

“I’m a comedian, you didn’t know?” Alice smirked. “I got several offers to host a late-night show back in the days.”

“Sure, you really missed a career opportunity there.” Claire chuckled. She focused on Sherry. “I guess if Alice doesn’t mind, you can start with her.”

“Yes, thanks!” Sherry squealed in joy. “And maybe later, I can try your motorcycle.”

“Yeah, don’t count on it.” Claire chortled.

“One thing at the time, kiddo.” Alice laughed at the pout Sherry gave her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: In this chapter, I wanted to explore Claire’s relationship with motherhood and how it’s not always easy, especially when you’re still young and raising a teenage girl.
> 
> If you haven’t heard about it, the voice actresses of Claire and Jill did a live stream of RE2 together last month and it was amazing. You can feel the characters when they talk and it made me (and a lot of people when you check the comments) yearn for a game with those two (there are rumors about RE Rev3 but I don’t think Capcom wants to put them together in it because reasons). At some point, they started singing and being sweet and supportive and it reminded me of some scenes I wrote in previous chapters so I guess, despite my worries, it’s “in character” enough.
> 
> They also announced a RE reboot movie and I don’t vibe with the cast or the plot. It’s a bit too much too soon, with RE8, the TV show with the Wesker’s kids, and the CG series (the only one I’m excited about). I’m scared people are gonna get fed up with the franchise, especially if some projects flop. I don’t know what to think, honestly, I just want a new game with my favorite characters.

Claire had been in a state of panic for a few days now. Sherry was sick and she had no idea why. The girl had never been sick before and it didn’t look like the flu. Sherry was supposed to start school soon and Claire was starting to wonder if it was a good idea. She didn’t want the doctor assigned to Sherry by the government to get involved but she needed help. When Sherry’s state didn’t improve, Claire called Rebecca. She knew the woman wasn’t living close and she felt bad for asking but she didn’t have a choice. Thankfully, Rebecca was understanding and took the first plane to visit them.

Claire was now watching Sherry sleep, waiting for Rebecca to arrive from the airport. When she heard a knock, she rushed to the door. “Rebecca, hi!” She hugged her. “How are you?”

“I’m okay, thank you.” Rebecca smiled tiredly. “I should be the one asking, how are you?”

“I’m so happy to see you right now, I could kiss you.” Claire joked, squeezing her friend’s shoulder to show how much she appreciated her help.

“You’re taken, a dinner will suffice.” Rebecca laughed. “Where is Sherry?”

“In her room,” Claire informed her, leading her to the girl’s bedroom.

“Claire?” Sherry mumbled when they entered.

“I’m here, sweetheart.” Claire caressed the girl’s hair softly. She had always cared about the wellbeing of the people in her life but with Sherry, it felt different. It was a motherly type of worry and it was a new feeling. After losing her parents, Claire knew she would adopt kids in the future but right now, she wasn’t really old and she wasn’t really Sherry’s mother either. She was in between the sister and the mother and it could be confusing at times. Still, Claire would do anything for Sherry.

“Hello, Sherry.” Rebecca moved to the other side of the bed.

Sherry coughed. “Aunt Beca?”

“Yes. How are you, sweetie?” Rebecca asked gently while opening her medical bag and taking her stethoscope.

“Not so great,” Sherry said hoarsely.

“Well, let’s see if I can help.” Rebecca looked at Claire. “Do you mind giving us a minute?”

“Huh…” Claire glanced at Sherry who nodded at her. “Sure.” She kissed the girl’s forehead and left the room. She went to the living room and grabbed her phone to text Alice who was away for work. **‘Rebecca’s here.’** A few minutes later, she got an answer.

**_Alice: ‘Good. How’s Sherry?’_ **

Claire sat on the couch and answered back. **‘Still the same.’**

**_Alice: ‘How are you?’_ **

**‘Worried.’** Claire bit her lip and added. **‘Wish you were here. X’**

**_Alice: “Me too… Let me know how it goes.’_ **

“Claire?” Rebecca called her before joining her in the living room.

“So, what’s the verdict, doc?” Claire patted the spot next to her on the couch.

Rebecca smiled and sat next to her friend. “I can’t find anything wrong but after talking with her a bit, I’m pretty sure it’s anxiety.”

Claire frowned. “Anxiety?”

“About attending public school with new people.” Rebecca developed. “She’s scared she’s not going to fit in.”

“No one really does.” Back in high school, Claire was never part of the popular clique but she wasn’t in the ‘loser team’ either. She was well-liked, she had great friends and good grades so she couldn’t really complain. Yet, she knew it wasn’t always easy to navigate when you were trying to figure yourself out. “Do you think it’s too soon?”

“No, on the contrary, I think it could be good for her,” Rebecca answered. “It could help her feel more normal. I don’t really like that word but let’s say, more like a regular teenager.”

“Why didn’t she tell me about this?” Claire questioned. “She knows she can talk to me.” She thought she was doing a good job with Sherry but now she was starting to think she was failing at parenting. She knew her work kept her busy sometimes but she had always made time for Sherry.

“I think she didn’t want to worry you, that’s all.” Rebecca squeezed Claire’s knee in comfort.

“Well, that didn’t work…” Claire sighed. “So, what do we do now?”

“I gave her something for the fever and in the meantime, you should talk to her,” Rebecca advised. “Tell her about your own high school experience, good memories. You could also take her to her new school so she can see the place and project herself. Once her mind is at rest, her body should follow.”

“Good idea.” Claire nodded. “I’m going to take a few more days off and take care of her.”

“Don’t worry, she’s going to be fine,” Rebecca reassured her. “And please, don’t blame yourself, you did nothing wrong.”

Despite Rebecca’s kind words, Claire still felt bad. She knew teenagers tended to share less with their parents but she didn’t want Sherry to withdraw. She respected her right to have privacy and her little secret garden but she wanted the girl to feel safe enough to talk to her.

After catching up over coffee, Rebecca left. She was staying at Chris’ until the weekend to work on a new project so she would come and check on Sherry often. Once alone, Claire called her brother. She needed to hear his voice and supportive words. Her brother told her the same thing Rebecca did, that it wasn’t her fault. Raising a kid was hard but everyone could see Claire was doing a great job. Chris ended the call by reminding her that he was there if she needed help. She felt better after that.

A few hours later, Sherry woke up less groggy, thanks to the medicine Rebecca had given her. It gave Claire the opportunity to have a little heart-to-heart with the girl. In the end, they both felt better and Sherry promised her to say something the next time she felt overwhelmed.

* * *

Months had passed and Claire was now packing her things. She was supposed to move out of her apartment soon and she was way behind schedule due to the last-minute trip she had to take for work. After the day she introduced Alice at Barry’s place, her wish of buying a house had only grown bigger. Sherry was doing well at school and when Claire got her promotion, it became clear that she needed a new home.

Claire was in her living room, looking fondly at a picture of her parents and Chris when she heard a knock on the door. “It’s open!”

“How many times did I tell you to lock…” Chris didn’t get the time to finish his sentence that Claire jumped into his arm for a hug.

“Chris!” Claire held him tight. “I missed you.” He had been away for a month and it was nice to see him again.

“I missed you too.” Chris set her back on the floor. “How are....” He trailed off when he noticed all the moving boxes around them. “Boxes?”

“Yes!” Claire clapped her hands together. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about but I thought it was best to do it in person.”

“You’re moving out?” Chris asked.

“Yes, I bought a house,” Claire said proudly. She couldn’t help it, it felt like an accomplishment.

“You bought a house?” Chris repeated slowly.

“Yes,” Claire confirmed. “And I’m moving in with Alice. Well, she’s moving in with me.”

“With Alice?” Chris frowned.

Claire rolled her eyes at her brother’s reaction. “Are you going to repeat everything I say or…?”

“I’m sorry, I’m just…” Chris shook his head. “Trying to wrap my head around it. Isn’t it a bit too soon? You’ve been together for what, a little more than a year?”

“I know, but I’m not buying it with her, _with her_.” Claire waved her hand around as if it would explain everything.

“What does that even mean?” Chris watched as his sister went back to a box and threw things in it. “Claire?”

Claire stopped what she was doing and sighed. “My lease was coming to an end and I needed more space now that Sherry stays with me. I thought, why not buy a house? A real place to call home. Every day when I go to work, I see this house from afar that looks a bit like our childhood home, except bigger, and I just… I really like it. Three months ago, I saw it was up for sale so I used the money we inherited to make an offer and now it’s mine. I got the news just after you left for your mission. I know you might think it’s silly but, it’s like a part of our parents is with me there…” It was a brick house with four bedrooms in a nice neighborhood and enough space for everyone. It had seen better days and it explained why she got it a lot cheaper than she had expected but it was nothing that couldn’t be fixed. More importantly, her neighbors’ houses were at a safe enough distance to not feel like she was sharing her front lawn with them.

“Oh, Claire…” Chris pulled her into a hug. “And where does Alice come into this?” He pulled away.

“Well the house needs some work and I could use some help with everything, so I asked her if she wanted to move in with me and Sherry,” Claire explained. “She said yes, on condition that she would pay a rent until, you know…” Alice was already spending most of her free time at her place and it felt like a good time to take their relationship to the next step. She was even seeing Alice way before they made it official so it helped her make her decision.

Chris nodded. “You break up.” He finished for her.

“Things are more serious,” Claire said at the same time. “Seriously?”

“Come on, Claire, it’s not like you’ve been one to settle down before.” Chris pointed out. “Besides, you’re still young…”

“Things are different now.” Claire knew Chris wasn’t completely wrong. She used to party and date casually but things slowly changed once Sherry entered the picture. Falling for Alice wasn’t planned and she was glad to have the woman in her life but even without her, she knew she would have bought a house eventually. It might have been smaller but her choice would have been the same. If anything, being with Alice just sped up the process.

Chris stared at her. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, she’ll be like a roommate,” Claire told him. “Like that, if it goes downhill, she can leave...” She didn’t want to lose Alice but she knew life could be unpredictable and unfair sometimes. That was why she had taken precautions before acting. Her brother should be proud that she was planning things instead of rushing.

“You used the roommate excuse before!” Chris chuckled.

Claire smiled at him cheekily. “It’s not my fault if you kept focusing on the men I was hanging out with instead of the women I was…”

“I don’t want to know.” Chris cut her off, his hands covering his ears.

Claire laughed. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t want to hurt your virgin ears, you big baby.”

“You’re ridiculous.” Chris shook his head in amusement.

“I’m ridiculous?” Claire gasped. “Do you want to talk about Jill and how you keep being oblivious?”

“No, thank you.” Chris grabbed the roll of paper towels on top of one of the boxes and threw it at his sister.

“Hey!” She grabbed it from the floor and threw it back. “Jerk.” They smiled at each other. She noticed his smile falling. “Okay, what’s wrong?”

“I just…” Chris sighed. “I want you to be happy. I don’t want you to rush into something and then get hurt. I’m proud of you and how you stepped up for Sherry but this is a big step.”

“I know but I gave it a lot of thought, trust me,” Claire reassured him. She knew he was just trying to look out for her but it wasn’t necessary here. “Life is short and I don’t want to have any regrets. Besides, I do it for me first; I really want a garden... and a bathtub.”

Chris nodded. “I’m happy for you but if anything goes wrong, you call me, and I’ll…”

“You what?” Claire asked amused. “Come and kick Alice’s ass?”

“No? Yes? Is it sexist if I say yes or…?” Chris scratched his neck. “I don’t even know; Jill keeps telling me about this stuff but it’s… maybe I’ll just send Jill.”

“Oh, so you want a bloodbath!” Claire laughed. Her brother was ridiculous sometimes but she wouldn’t change him for anything in the world.

“We could take bets.” Chris chuckled.

“I thought you liked Alice.” Claire knew they had a bit of a rough start but they were getting along better now.

“You could have done worse.” Chris looked at her seriously before cracking up at his sister’s offended face. “Alright, I’ll admit it, she’s fine.” He ruffled her hair affectionately. “Anyway, do you need help?”

“Do you have time?” Claire raised an eyebrow.

“For you, sis?” Chris smiled. “Always.”

Hours later, after Chris left, Claire received a text from Jill. She tore her eyes away from the board game she was playing with Alice and Sherry to read it.

**_Jill: ‘Pulling a U-haul?’_ **

Claire shook her head and laughed. It was far from being a rushed decision but everyone seemed to think the opposite. Jill and her brother might refuse to acknowledge their feelings for each other but it didn’t mean she had to do the same in her relationship. **‘Did Chris tell you that?’**

**_Jill: ‘As if your brother knows the lingo!”_ **

Claire chuckled. Her brother could definitely be a bit old school sometimes **. ‘It’s my house, but she’ll live with Sherry and me.’** She explained, just in case Chris made it look like something else.

**_Jill: ‘Are you sure?’_ **

**‘Yes.’** Claire loved Chris and Jill but they were way too protective sometimes.

**_Jill: ‘Alright. Do you need help with the move?’_ **

**‘Barry is coming next weekend with a truck but an extra pair of hands wouldn’t hurt.’** At least, Claire still had a week to finish packing. She didn’t have a lot of furniture and since Alice was renting a furnished apartment, most of their things would fit in moving boxes.

* * *

The week went by in a blur and soon, Claire found herself unloading the moving truck at her new house. She put another box full of dishes on the kitchen counter with a sigh. She had a lot more stuff than she had initially thought, so much so that it barely fitted Barry’s truck.

The house wasn’t huge but it wasn’t small either. Downstairs, there were the foyer, the kitchen, the dining room, and living room on one side and an office and what was supposed to be a playroom on the other. They had 2 garages where they could park their cars and motorcycles. The bedrooms were upstairs with an extra bathroom. They had spent the past month renovating the two main bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms with new coats of paint while Barry was renovating the kitchen. The man had been more than happy to help with the work and Claire was so grateful for that. The rest of the house would be renovated bit by bit, especially the attic that Alice wanted to transform into a private gym.

“I put my clothes on the left side of the wardrobe,” Alice announced, joining her in the kitchen. “If that’s okay with you?”

“Okay,” Claire answered distractedly. She had barely slept the night before to make sure everything was ready and it was starting to catch up with her.

Alice moved behind Claire, gently turning her around so they could face each other. “Hey!”

Claire smiled. “Hey, yourself.” She wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s neck. Alice leaned to capture her lips in a kiss that made her heart skitter in her chest. “What was that for?” She asked, half dazed.

“You looked like you needed a little boost,” Alice smirked, resting her hands on Claire’s hips. “Did it work?”

“Maybe another, just to be sure.” Claire pulled her back for another kiss. It was nice to see they could read each other without talking now.

“Urgh, Abernathy, use your hands for something else than fondling Claire.” Jill made a face as she loudly dropped a box on the kitchen table. “It’s your house too, you should help.”

Alice snorted but didn’t pull away from Claire. “You’re one to talk, Valentine, you spent an hour sorting Claire’s vinyl records by style and alphabetical order.”

“It’s a serious business.” As if to prove her point, Jill went to the living room and looked at the record player. She flipped over the vinyl to side B and pressed play. She smiled when the music filled the room, then went back to the kitchen. “Enjoy real music.” She told Alice before leaving the room.

Claire smiled to herself. Alice and Jill had built a playful friendship in the past few months and it warmed her heart. She was glad that the two women were getting along, even if it was for her sake. Her brother was still a bit cautious but he was trying. Alice took her hand and swirled her around. Once in the living-room, her girlfriend pulled her closer and started slow-dancing with the music. “I didn’t know you could dance,” Claire commented, trying to follow the steps.

Alice winked. “There are still a lot of things you don’t know about me.”

Claire laughed lightly. “I can’t wait to know more, then.”

“If things go the way I want them to,” Alice smiled. “We’ll have years for that…”

“I hope so…” Claire lovingly smiled at her. So few people got to see Alice this way, sweet and soft. Claire always felt special, lucky to witness it. She kept dancing for another minute before stepping away. “I wish we could continue this but we should stop before Jill lectures us.” She kissed Alice.

As the couple pulled away, they heard Sherry rush down the stairs loudly.

“Guys, I know I said it before but I really love this house.” Sherry hugged the women. “I have enough space to put my shot glass collection on the shelves now! No more box!”

Alice arched an eyebrow. “Glass collection?”

Sherry nodded happily. “Oh, yeah, I’ll show you once we’re done. Maybe you could bring me one too next time you travel.” She walked away.

“Chris brought her one after a mission abroad. It’s not really what you give to a teen but Sherry liked it so he decided to keep doing it and then Jill and Barry too, even Leon jumped in...” Claire explained. The glasses were nothing special but she figured it was the gesture, it made Sherry feel like she belonged. Claire could hear the girl chatting with Jill in the kitchen and it made her smile. Moving into this house was the beginning of something good, she could feel it.

“Tell your mamas to come and help,” Jill told Sherry, making the girl laugh.

Sherry poked her head back into the living room. “You heard the boss!”

“We’re coming,” Claire replied. The mama thing started as an inside joke between Chris, Jill, and Barry but it slowly grew bigger. Claire was a bit worried at first that Sherry wouldn’t take it well - since she had never called her ‘Mom’ - but the girl seemed okay with it, happily playing along. Claire welcomed their teasing now; it meant her family had embraced the situation. As she made her way outside of the house, she felt her phone vibrating. It was a text from Leon telling her he would come and see the house soon. She shared the information with Alice.

Alice stopped in the driveway. “Do I have to be there? Because he doesn’t like me very much and I...”

Chris approached them and shoved a box in Alice’s hands. “Who are you talking about?”

“Leon,” Alice and Claire answered in unison.

Chris snorted. “Yeah, I feel you!”

“He has a stick up his ass.” Jill jumped in, making everyone laugh but Claire who glared at them.

“Well, he’s my friend and I like him, so we’ll invite him to dinner with us.” Claire took the box from Alice’s hands and kissed her cheek.

“As you wish.” Alice bowed exuberantly.

Jill and Chris laughed at the exchange. “God, she has you wrapped around her little finger.” Jill snickered.

Alice pushed Jill away. “Shut up, Valentine!” She ignored Claire’s loud laughter as her girlfriend slowly made her way back inside the house.

Barry stepped closer to Alice and patted her shoulder. “Speaking from experience since I’m the only one married here, sometimes, you have to let them win.”

Alice rolled her eyes and grabbed a chair, walking away with Chris and Jill making teasing whip sounds behind her.

* * *

Alice was dreaming. She was reliving Sherry’s tournament from a few months ago.

_‘She was sitting in the bleachers with Claire, Jill, and Chris. They were all wearing matching t-shirts to support Sherry. As they cheered for the girl, Alice felt a sense of ‘family, of belonging, for the first time in forever. When the tournament was over and Sherry’s team won, Chris carried the girl on his shoulders toward the car so they could all go celebrate. Claire was behind them, laughing with Jill. Alice was walking further back, enjoying the scene until Claire called her name. Alice, Alice…’_

Alice tried to hold on to that feeling but then she realized, it was not Claire’s voice calling her but Rain’s. She opened her eyes slowly. She was lying on the ground, with her head ringing and a taste of blood in her mouth. She blinked; she wasn’t home celebrating with Claire and her family, but on a mission. She remembered shouting at people to run to safety before going back to a tent to save some supplies. Then an explosion happened.

Rain grabbed Alice’s face to force her to focus. “Alice, can you hear me?”

Alice pushed Rain’s hands away. “Don’t shout, I’m not deaf…” She groaned. “Yet.”

“You’re one lucky bitch!” Rain lifted Alice up so she could stand. “I thought you were tits up.” She wrapped her arm around Alice’s back to keep her steady and barked at someone to come and help.

“It’s gonna take more than that.” Alice chuckled weakly. J.D, a man from her team appeared at her side before she was half carried away to an ambulance. “Is everyone alright?” She tried to look around but her vision was blurry.

“No casualty reported.” Rain answered. “So just relax and let the doc do her job. I have the situation under control.”

Alice passed out after that and when she opened her eyes again, she was in a hospital bed. Her whole body was aching. She heard someone call her name and looked to the side. Rain was sitting on the chair next to the bed.

“Good, you’re finally awake.” Rain stood up. “I was tired of hearing you snore.”

“I needed some beauty sleep.” Alice’s voice was broken and hoarse. She cleared her throat.

Rain snorted and handed her a glass of water. “Have you seen your face? You need a 2 months coma at this point.” She teased but there was a hint of relief in her voice.

“Please,” Alice took a few sips of water before continuing. “I’m sure I can still hook up with someone faster than you.”

Rain chuckled. “Funny you say that because you received a call from a certain Claire. I didn’t know you had a girlfriend.”

“What?” Alice frowned. “Why did you have my phone? What did you say?”

“You were out for three days so I kept your stuff. I didn’t know who to call since you tell me off every time I ask if you have someone, so when your phone rang, I answered.” Rain explained. “She was worried so I told her what happened.” She smirked. “She sounds nice…”

Alice cringed. She had kept her private life under wraps to protect Claire and Sherry, in case someone from her past would want to hurt her, but she hadn’t thought about what would happen if she got injured and was unable to contact them. Claire was probably worried sick and Alice knew that, once she would feel better, she would get an earful about emergency contact and such from her. She needed to call her soon. “I…”

Rain held her hand up to stop her words and turned serious. “I can understand why you didn’t say anything. After what we did in the past, I would want to protect my family too but I’m your friend, I’ve got your back.”

Like her, Rain wasn’t scared of much so for her friend to react so soberly, it meant her injuries must have looked serious at some point. “Thanks…” Alice knew she could trust Rain. The woman would never judge her for her choices and it was nice to know she had someone in her corner after so many betrayals.

“So, when do I meet her?” Rain smirked again, all signs of seriousness gone.

“When I’ll be sure you can behave!” Alice laughed at the fake look of offense her friend shot her but quickly stopped when her ribs hurt. She groaned in pain.

“Let me call the nurse.” Rain walked toward the door but stopped before opening it. “I hope you know I won’t let it go until I meet her.” She winked before leaving the room.

In the end, Alice got lucky, which was a welcome change. She only had a concussion, a few broken ribs, and a nasty wound on her right arm.

* * *

After flying back home, Alice drove herself to her house in the early evening. Rain had insisted to drop her off but since Alice knew it was a tactic to see Claire, she refused. Alice had barely crossed the doorstep that Sherry rushed into her arms. She winced at the contact but held the girl tight. “Hey.” She kissed the top of Sherry’s head before pulling away.

“Are you okay? What happened? Claire told me you got hurt. I was worried.” Sherry said hastily.

“I’m okay.” Alice smiled reassuringly. “Thank you for asking.”

“Alice!” Claire hurried toward her but stopped just before she could hug her. Instead, she cupped Alice’s cheeks softly. “Are you alright? You should have called; I would have come and picked you up.”

“It’s fine, it’s just a flesh wound.” Alice joked. She knew she wouldn’t be able to work right away due to her injuries but she didn’t want them to worry even more.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” Sherry hugged Alice’s arm. “I’ll give you guys a minute.” She went to her room.

“Are you really alright?” Claire looked at her doubtfully.

“Maybe you could kiss it better?” Alice licked her lips.

Claire chuckled. She kissed her slowly, lovingly. “I missed you…” She breathed out when she pulled away.

“I missed you too.” Alice smiled. It was nice to be home, with the people she cared about.

“I’m going to make you some chicken soup, my grandmother’s old recipe. It’s the Redfield’s universal cure for everything.” Claire announced. “You should go lay down.”

Alice chuckled. “I’m not a child.”

“Still, you need rest.” Claire insisted. “So, go ahead.” She shooed her away. “I’ll tell you when dinner’s ready.”

“Fine.” If Alice was honest with herself, she could use a rest, even though she wanted to spend some time with Claire and Sherry. She made her way to her bedroom and took a shower before lying on the bed. She needed to change the wrapping around her arm.

As if on cue, Claire entered the room with a first aid kit. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine.” Alice sighed. “You need to stop asking me that.” She knew Claire meant well but the last thing she wanted was to be a burden.

“Then answer truthfully and I’ll stop,” Claire replied pointedly. She sat on the bed next to Alice and gently took her arm. She carefully unwrapped the strip of cloth.

“It’s mostly my ribs,” Alice stated almost begrudgingly.

Claire hummed, wrapping a fresh bandage around Alice’s wound. “You need to be more careful. You can’t keep acting as if you have nothing to lose.”

“It’s my job to protect people.” Alice was aware that she had people who cared about her now, who loved her, but she just couldn’t stop helping people. She wasn’t meant for a desk job.

“I know that and I’ll never stop you from doing what’s important to you. I’m proud of what you do, I hope you know that.” Claire caressed Alice’s good arm. “But your friend told me what happened. You didn’t get hurt while saving people, you got hurt because you wanted to save some documents and supplies. Those can be replaced, but not you. So please, next time, don’t take unnecessary risks…”

Alice sighed. Claire had a point; it wasn’t essential to secure supplies but she had felt bad watching all the hard work the NGO did going down the drain and wanted to help. “I’ll try to be more careful in the future.”

“That’s all I’m asking.” Claire smiled happily. “Besides, I’m tired of playing nurse.”

Alice had been hurt several times in the past and every time, Claire was there, with a first aid kit and a soft smile. She was so in love with that woman, sometimes she still wondered how she got so lucky. “Are you sure?” She smirked. “I can think of a few things I could do to you if you were wearing a sexy nurse uniform.” She wriggled her eyebrows. 

Claire laughed. “Curb the horniness.” She poked Alice’s side, getting a wince at the gesture. “Not gonna happen any time soon.”

Alice chuckled. “My mouth still works just fine.”

“That it does.” Claire shook her head with an amused smile. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I knew when I started writing for an old and rare pairing that I wouldn’t get too much feedback but honestly, one comment when I spend time and energy on this fic, it hurts a bit, especially when I have around 150 views at each update. I wanted to take advantage of the second lockdown to post more but quite frankly, seeing what I get in return, I don’t feel like it anymore… 
> 
> Warning: Time jump, somewhere around a year later.

It was Friday and since Claire was working late, Alice was the one making dinner for her and Sherry. Everything was going well until Sherry asked to go to a party. Alice reminded her that she wasn’t allowed to go and after a five-minute tantrum, she sent the girl to her room.

Alice thought the topic was closed but then, she heard a loud noise coming from Sherry’s room. When she rushed there, Sherry was half-way through the window. She frowned. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Sherry, startled by Alice’s entrance, crashed on the floor. “Ouch…”

“Are you alright?” Alice took a step closer to check on her.

“Huh, yes.” Sherry winced as she stood up.

“Good.” Alice pointed at the door. “Downstairs, now!”

“I…” Sherry tried.

“Now!” Alice repeated as she slammed the window shut.

Sherry’s eyes widened and without a word, she made her way to the kitchen. Once Alice joined her, she spoke. “I can explain…”

Alice chuckled, unamused. “I would like to see you try. Oh, better yet, Claire should be here soon, why don’t you try with her?” She was usually more lenient than Claire, especially since she wasn’t Sherry’s guardian but after moving in with them, she became more and more involved. She had had to put her foot down a few times already, even if she didn’t like it, she knew it was important. Claire liked to say they were co-parenting but she was still afraid of overstepping sometimes.

“I just wanted to go for an hour or two,” Sherry said lamely.

“How is that any better?” Alice answered, irritated. “I told you already, you are not going to that party.” They had discussed the subject with Claire and had agreed the party was a bit too much. They trusted Sherry and regularly let the girl hang out with her friends on weekends but lately, Sherry was spending time with a new friend that Claire wasn’t a fan of and her negative influence could be felt. Claire was supposed to have a little chat with Sherry about it.

“For once I’m invited to a big party and you have to ruin it!” Sherry snapped in annoyance.

“If they really are your friends, they’ll understand and you’ll see them another time,” Alice reasoned.

“You know, you’re not my mom.” Sherry stomped her foot. “You can’t tell me what to do!”

“Claire isn’t either and yet you listen to her.” Alice pointed at calmly. She was trying to keep her cool. Sherry was usually understanding but this time, she seemed ready for a fight.

Sherry huffed. “Yes, but Claire is different. She’s like a mother figure to me, she adopted me, kinda… You’re technically nothing, you’re just Claire’s girlfriend so I don’t have to listen to you!”

Alice looked hurt for a second but quickly recovered, flexing her jaw. “Well, this is still my house and you’re still a minor, so go back to your room!”

Sherry groaned in frustration. “That’s not fair!”

“Helloooo!” Claire suddenly announced herself. She stepped into the kitchen and stared at Alice and Sherry. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Alice replied quickly, clearly tired of the situation.

“I want to go to a party and Alice refuses to let me,” Sherry stated.

Alice turned to the girl. “You tried to sneak out of your room by the window!”

“What?” Claire looked at Sherry. “What party is it? The one at Ashley’s? Because I thought I made it clear that I didn’t want you to go. It wasn’t one of those ‘ask your other mom’ kind of moments.” She crossed her arms. She noticed a twitch in Alice’s eye at her comment and frowned. “Why do I feel like it’s not the whole story? What else happened?”

“I…” Sherry started.

“She was just complaining about it, nothing else,” Alice assured. She didn’t want the girl to get into more trouble than she already was.

Sherry looked at Alice with surprise in her eyes. “I…” She stared at the floor in shame.

“Sherry?” Claire asked. When no one answered, she sighed. “Fine, go to your room, I’ll come and see you in a minute.”

“But…” Sherry tried.

“No buts,” Claire cut her off. “And don’t try anything stupid, I know all the tricks in the book.”

Sherry rolled her eyes. “Fine!” She stomped toward her room.

Claire turned to Alice. “Hey.” She smiled, cupping her girlfriend’s cheek. “You’re okay?”

“Hey.” Alice leaned into the warmth of Claire’s hand then gave her a small smile. “I’m okay. Dinner is in the fridge. I’ll be on the porch, just in case she tries to sneak out again.” She kissed the top of Claire’s head and went outside. She was glad her girlfriend was home but she needed a minute.

* * *

Claire watched Alice leave with even more questions than before. She could tell her girlfriend needed some time alone so she decided to eat dinner and change before going to see Sherry. She knocked on the girl’s bedroom door and entered. “I brought ice cream, want some?” She asked as she showed the pint of ice cream in her hand.

“No, but thanks.” Sherry straightened up on her bed.

Claire sat down on the bed. “Sooo, are you ready to talk now?” She casually flipped open the lid of the ice cream tub and plunged her spoon into it.

Sherry sighed, grabbing a pillow and hugging it close to her chest. “Aren’t you supposed to tell me I’m grounded?”

“Oh, don’t worry I will.” Claire smiled, the spoon still in her mouth. “But I’d like to hear your side of the story first.” She removed the spoon.

Sherry chuckled despite herself at Claire’s silly face. “I just wanted to have fun.”

“Girls, just want to have fun…” Claire sing-songed. “Oh, girls…”

“You’re lame!” Sherry laughed. “Do you only know ‘80s songs?”

“It’s a classic.” Claire shrugged then turned serious. “So, you asked Alice if you could go to your party and she said no, just like I did, then what?”

Sherry sighed once again, hugging her pillow tighter. She closed her eyes and breathed out. “Shit…”

“Language!” Claire chastised.

Sherry snorted. “You’re one to talk!”

“Well, I’m an adult and I pay my taxes,” Claire argued. “Besides, I never said I was the perfect example to follow.”

“I…” Sherry took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself for Claire’s reaction. “I told Alice she wasn’t my mom or even my guardian and since she’s nothing, she can’t tell me what to do…”

“Sherry…”

The girl cringed internally as she recognized that tone, tinted with disappointment, and motherly disapproval. She rushed to say. “I swear I didn’t mean it! I was just angry and lashed out and I regretted it the second it left my mouth.” When Claire didn’t answer, she bit her lower lip, trying not to cry. “Are you… angry with me?”

“No, I…” Claire shook her head. “Do you… Do you still like Alice? I mean, I know I asked you before we all moved in together but I thought you were okay with it… I’m aware that it might not have been what you expected when I took you in, to be honest, I wasn’t expecting it either but…” She thought things were going well for the three of them. They might be a weird little family but together, they made it work.

“Are you kidding? I love her!” Sherry reassured. “She’s great, she taught me a lot of stuff and I can see how happy she makes you.”

Claire put her ice cream to the side so she could focus on the girl. “You do know that we’re not trying to replace your parents, right? I know we all joke about being your moms sometimes, but we mean no disrespect to Annette or William. You loved your parents and when I met you, you were old enough to remember them, so we’re not trying to take that away from you.”

“My parents weren’t perfect, the babysitter raised me more than they did,” Sherry answered.

“I’m sor…”

“No, don’t, it’s okay,” Sherry interrupted her. She grabbed the pint of ice cream and took a mouthful. “I love my parents but I’m old enough to know that they neglected me. It’s even more obvious now that I have you two, you know? I have someone to eat dinner with, to ask about my day at school, or help me with my homework. I have a family, uncles, and aunts that love me. It’s really nice… I… I don’t think I’ve ever thanked you for that…”

Claire smiled at her fondly. “You don’t have to; I would do it again in a heartbeat.” She had to sacrifice some things to arrive where they were now but she didn’t regret anything.

“Still,” Sherry insisted. “I know it’s not easy, especially when I’m acting like…”

“The teenager that you are.” Claire finished for her with a smirk.

Sherry chuckled. “Yeah…”

Claire paused for a moment. “I know I’m not your mom but…”

“Well, you kind of are. You’re like a mother and a sister, it’s a weird mix, I know but…” Sherry shrugged.

“I appreciate the sentiment but no matter what, I’m still your guardian. So, when I say no to something, you should listen.” Claire said a bit sternly. “And I know Alice might not be your guardian on paper but you should respect her too.”

Sherry looked down and nodded. “I know, I’m sorry.”

“And don’t try to sneak out of the house again,” Claire added. “There are a lot of weirdos out there, I don’t want anything happening to you.”

“My body can heal itself, remember?” Sherry gave her a half-shrug. “That’s the good part of being a freak.”

Claire reached out and gently took the girl’s chin in her hand. “You are not a freak, never was, and never will be. You’re a brilliant young girl with a special talent, you should see it as a gift, not a curse.” Thanks to Rebecca’s regular checkups and some reassurance, they had been able to help Sherry accept her condition but now and then, the girl’s fear of turning into a monster would rear its ugly head.

“I know…”

“Good.” Claire leaned closer and hugged Sherry. “I love you, sweetie.”

“Love you too.” Sherry broke the embrace then joked. “So, about that party?”

Claire laughed as she stood up from the bed. “Still no and you’re grounded. No video games for a week and dishes duty for 2.”

Sherry frowned. “Don’t we have a dishwasher for that?”

“And just for being a smartass, you’ll help Barry clean up his garage.” Claire smiled. That comeback sounded a bit too much like one of Alice’s. No matter what her girlfriend thought, she was an important part of Sherry’s life. “I’ve heard it’s quite a mess!”

“What? No!” Sherry cried. “It’s dirty and it smells funny.”

“Well, let’s hope you’ll work quickly then.” Claire winked.

“You’re mean!” Sherry pouted.

“You’ll live.” Claire chuckled, opening the door. “Goodnight.”

“Claire?” Sherry heard the hum of acknowledgment and continued. “What am I going to say to Alice?”

“Sleep on it, I’m sure you’ll find the words,” Claire reassured. “But an apology is always a good place to start.”

Sherry nodded. “Thanks, ‘night.”

* * *

Claire sighed after closing the door behind her. Sherry was a great kid, polite and well behaved but teenagers were never easy. Now she felt bad for Chris and all the times she sneaked out to go to a party with her friends. She still needed to talk to Sherry about her new friend Ashley but it could wait. She wasn’t the type to forbid a kid to see someone but she just wanted to remind Sherry not to fall to peer pressure. Some silly mistakes could at least wait for college.

Since she was done with Sherry, Claire went downstairs to talk to her girlfriend. She grabbed a couple of beers and went to the porch. Alice was silently cleaning her gun at the small table. She knew that Alice tended to clean her weapons when she was upset and wanted to relax, so it was clear that Sherry’s comment had hit close to home.

“I don’t think anyone is going to come and take her to the party, you can put the gun away.” Claire joked, putting the beers on the table and sitting opposite her girlfriend.

“Well,” Alice smirked. “Since we met most of them, I would hope they know better.”

“You sound like Chris.” Claire laughed. “They’re good kids, we got lucky on that point.”

Alice thanked her for the beer and took a sip. “Sherry’s in bed?”

“Yes.” Claire took her beer and started playing with the label. “We’re gonna have to block her window so she can only open it halfway.” She hated how it sounded and it made her feel bad but it felt necessary.

“Already planning on it,” Alice answered as she reassembled her handgun.

They stayed in comfortable silence for a moment until Claire spoke again. “She told me what she said to you.” When Alice simply hummed in answer, she continued. “Do you want to talk about it?” She saw Alice shrug. “Why didn’t you tell me when I asked what happened?” Alice shrugged again. “Alice?”

Alice sighed and set the gun back on the table. “I didn’t want to embarrass her.”

Claire smiled lovingly. “Look at you, you big softy.”

“Urgh, Claire.” Alice groaned.

“I’m sorry,” Claire chuckled. “But for someone who pretends to be so badass and blasé, you care a lot.”

Alice huffed. “I don’t pretend to be badass, I am.”

“Hmm hmm, you sure are.” Claire paused. “She didn’t mean it, you know? She’s a teenager, she’s just in that phase…”

“She’s right though.” Alice grabbed her gun again, finishing her work.

“No, she isn’t,” Claire stated firmly. “She never really had a support system until now, her parents were… terrible, to be polite.”

“For you, that would be a first.” Alice teased.

“Ah ah.” Claire deadpanned. “They weren’t there for her and… anyway, what happened happened. Then Simmons took her in and she didn’t have any freedom. So now that she’s free, sort of, and feels safe enough to explore, she’s testing her boundaries. It’s not very pleasant for us but I guess it’s part of the whole parenting thing.”

“Didn’t know you were a psychology major,” Alice smirked.

“You asshole!” Claire swatted her arm. “I’m serious. And if you don’t believe me, read a book or ask Rebecca.”

“If you say so…” Alice chuckled. “You know, as long as she’s happy, I’m good. I worked for Umbrella too, just like Sherry’s parents and I did some things that I’m not proud of. I’m not really the poster child of good parenting.”

“But you changed, that’s what matters.” Claire insisted. “And you’re great with her. She really loves you.”

“I’m not sure it will ever be enough but at the end of the day, I’m okay with being the bad guy if the two of you are safe and well,” Alice said.

“Well, I’m not a fan of the good cop/bad cop dynamic. You matter too. You can’t keep punishing yourself for what happened. We all moved on, you should forgive yourself and do the same.” Claire took a sip of her beer and put it back on the table. Even though Alice never said anything, she could tell the woman still felt like she didn’t deserve what they had and it broke her heart. “I know it’s not what you signed up for when we started dating. You used to travel and do all sorts of crazy things and now you play house, fix windows, and butt heads with a teenager.”

“When Sherry’s angry, she’s scarier than any zombies I’ve ever encountered.” Alice heard Claire laugh and smiled. “But, you know, I’m still traveling and doing crazy things. The only difference now is that I have people to come home to. I knew Sherry would be a part of the deal and I was okay with that. It’s just…”

“Just?” Claire prodded gently. She knew sometimes Alice needed a little push to share some feelings.

Alice sighed. “I didn’t think I would care so much.”

Claire stood up from her chair and sat on Alice’s lap, wrapping her arms around her neck. She kissed her longingly then pulled away, resting her forehead against Alice’s.

“What was that for?” Alice asked breathlessly.

Claire shrugged. “I just love you.”

Alice smiled. “I love you too.”

They stayed outside for a while after that, enjoying the moment and the warming weather. It was Friday night and Claire couldn’t see a better way to start the weekend.

* * *

The next morning, Sherry knocked on Claire and Alice’s bedroom door.

Alice stirred and looked at Claire who was still sleeping peacefully. Her girlfriend had worked long hours the past week and she deserved the rest. Alice cleared her throat and answered in a low voice. “Come in.”

“Morning.” Sherry greeted in a whisper. “Can we talk?” She asked Alice almost shyly.

Alice nodded with a smile. “Come make breakfast with me.” She carefully got out of bed and closed the door behind her. She could see Sherry was nervous so once they reached the kitchen, she gave her a side hug. “Pancakes?”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Sherry answered absentmindedly. She was standing in the middle of the room, hesitant.

Alice patted the stool in front of the counter. “You can sit, I don’t bite.”

Sherry nodded and sat down, silently looking at Alice as she gathered ingredients for their breakfast. “Don’t burn them for once.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Alice chuckled. She didn’t want to rush the girl so she focused on the pancake mixture to give her time.

“So, huh…” Sherry cleared her throat. “I wanted to apologize for what I said last night.” She played with her fingers, not looking at Alice. “I swear I didn’t mean it.”

Alice smiled at her reassuringly. “Apology accepted.”

Sherry looked up. “I was frustrated and I took it out on you and it wasn’t fair.”

“We’re not trying to make your life difficult.” Alice stopped what she was doing to look at Sherry. “You’ll make your own mistakes in life, that’s a part of growing up. No matter what, Claire will be there for you and so will I, if you want me to. But for now, we want to make sure that you’re safe. You can go to parties, of course, but that one really didn’t sound like a great idea.”

“I know.” Sherry hopped from her stole and grabbed some plates to set the table. “I received a text this morning. Apparently, the police came and it was a mess. Sam and Lara said it was a bad idea but I wanted to try something new and make new friends. Now, I’m glad I wasn’t there.”

Alice fought back a smile at the news. She knew Sherry’s best friends were good kids but now she was even more grateful for them. “If you want, you could throw a party here. Just your friends, though, no strangers.”

“Really?” Sherry’s eyes sparkled in excitement.

“You’ll have to ask Claire but why not.” Alice shrugged. It was better to have Sherry partying in a safe environment than at a stranger’s house.

“I love you, you know that, right?” Sherry asked, moving behind the counter to stand next to Alice.

Alice chuckled. “No need to sweet-talk me, Claire is the one you need to convince.”

“No, I’m not talking about that.” Sherry shook her head. “I mean, you’re not just Claire’s girlfriend. You’re my family and I care about you.” She engulfed Alice in a hug.

Alice stood still for a moment, surprised by the confession. When Sherry hugged her tighter, she wrapped her arms around the girl. “I love you too, kiddo.” She puffed some air, trying to rein in her emotions. She didn’t know what it was about the two women in her life that made her feel so much but she couldn’t complain.

“Can I join the hug-fest or is this a private event?” Claire asked as she entered the room. Sherry gestured for her to come and with a smile, she went to hug them both.

* * *

Claire was alone for the weekend so she decided to invite some of her colleagues - now friends - for dinner at her house. Alice was away on a mission and Sherry was with her best friends so it was the perfect occasion to relax. She had invited her friends a few times already when her favorite girls were there but it was a different atmosphere when it was just them.

Betty showed up with her new boyfriend, L.J. to introduce him. The man was funny and laid back, so Claire definitely liked him. Mikey came with his brother Luke and Luke’s boyfriend, Emmett. She knew why Mikey had introduced them but she didn’t mind. Luke reminded her of a friend from college and every time they saw each other, with or without Mikey, Claire always ended up crying of laughter.

They settled in the garden, talking and laughing about everything. Claire sighed contently as she listened to Betty and L.J. bicker about silly things. She was glad for her new friends. She used to be so focused on college, then work, and helping Sherry that she forgot to live. She didn’t regret it but now that things were less erratic, she could finally enjoy herself more. She heard someone call her name so she focused back on the conversation.

“Your kid is going to college next year, have you started looking at scholarships and all that shit?” Betty asked.

“No, we haven’t talked about it yet.” Claire’s eyes went wide as she realized Sherry would leave them soon to live her life. “God, she’s growing up so fast…”

L.J. frowned. “You have a kid? Damn, girl, how old are you?”

“Still young.” Claire chuckled. “Sherry is adopted, it’s a long story.” She hadn’t given her friends too many details about what happened. She only told them that she knew Sherry’s parents and offered to take the girl in when they passed away. It wasn’t a complete lie.

“I still remember the first time I met Sherry. When I told her I was a medic, she asked me if I could show her how to do stitches.” Betty laughed. “Bright kid.”

“She is.” Mikey agreed. “And Claire is a great mom.”

“Hot mama!” Luke joked with a wink.

They all laughed before moving on to another topic.

* * *

When Sherry came home the next day, Claire sat down with her so they could talk about her future.

“What do you want to study in college? Do you know already?” Claire questioned.

“I’m not sure I want to go to college,” Sherry announced. “I want to help fighting against Bio-terrorist attacks. I know Umbrella went down but there’s still so much to do.”

Claire blinked. She was not expecting that answer. Sherry loved studying and books so it came as a surprise that she wouldn’t want to go to college. “Sherry… It’s a difficult and dangerous line of work. You’re still young, you should enjoy your life.”

“Our whole family is working in that field.” Sherry pointed out.

“It doesn’t mean you have to.” Claire insisted. She had seen the damages fighting Umbrella did to the people she loved and it wasn’t the life she wanted for Sherry. The girl had suffered enough and she deserved a chance to put the past behind and start fresh, something they weren’t able to do. “If you want to help people, there are a lot of choices available for you.”

“It’s not the same.” Sherry sighed. “I’m not saying I want to be a soldier but I could be part of the research and coordination team or something.”

“For that, you need special skills. It’s the kind of knowledge you learn in college. I won’t forbid you to do what you want, it’s your future but I want you to take some time to think about it. Nothing prevents you from getting a degree and then, if you still want it, join an anti-BOWs agency.” Claire secretly hoped Sherry would find another calling by the time she was done with college. 

Sherry stayed silent for a moment. “I’m gonna think about it.”

Claire smiled. “Take your time.” She kissed the girl’s forehead.

A month later, and after a long discussion with Chris and Jill, Sherry chose to apply for colleges. She wanted to explore life first and decided later if she wanted to follow her family’s path or not. Sherry didn’t want to move to another state so she could stay close to them, so the choices were limited but for Claire, it was still a victory.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, let me know what you think about this update, thanks!

Another year went by in a blur. Claire was now a prominent member of Terrasave and Alice had created her anti-BOW team. Sherry would be starting college soon, and Chris and Jill were now part of the BSAA.

Things were still going well with Alice. They had a few fights along the year, mostly due to Alice constantly taking unnecessary risks or her tendency to keep things to herself but they made it work. Claire was still very much in love and so was Alice.

However, Alice had been distant for a week now and Claire couldn’t figure out why.

When Claire came home after work a few days later, she found the table set in the living room with flowers and candles. Even though she was alone, she raised a questioning eyebrow. “Alice?”

“Hi!” Alice stepped into the room. “I made dinner.” She pulled the chair so Claire could sit.

“Where’s Sherry?” Claire asked as she sat down.

Alice kissed her cheek. “At Chris’.”

“Not that I don’t appreciate it but, what’s all this?” Claire gestured at the table.

“I thought we could enjoy a nice evening together; it’s been a while,” Alice answered before bringing two plates full of food for them to eat.

Claire looked at the food, already salivating. “Smells good.” She had a busy day at work and only ate a small sandwich for lunch so she was starving. “Did you make it?”

Alice sat down. “Would you believe me if I say yes?”

“Absolutely… not!” Claire chuckled.

Alice laughed with her. “It’s from the restaurant you like so much.”

“New York Pulse? God, you’re the best!” Claire grabbed her fork, ready to dig in.

“I know,” Alice smirked. “Bon appetite!”

They talked about their day and how they should go on a vacation somewhere soon. It was nice but Claire could see Alice’s mind wasn’t really there. When Alice brought the dessert, Claire was ready to ask if something was wrong but her girlfriend started talking first.

“So…” Alice cleared her throat. “We’ve been together for a while now…”

“Yeah, time flies.” Claire smiled. She was pretty content with where she was in life.

Alice nodded. “Are you happy with the life we have?”

“Of course I am!” Claire frowned. “I love you, you know that, right?”

“Good. So, huh…” Alice started playing with a rose petal that had fallen on the table. “I love you. You make me really happy. Since I met you, I feel like life has given me a second chance, and…” She groaned. “I’m terrible at this. Claire Redfield…” She stood up a bit abruptly, knocking a candle over. She quickly caught it and blew it out.

Suddenly, it dawned on Claire what Alice was trying to do. “Are you trying to propose?” She laughed lightly. “Because you’re doing a terrible job.”

“Oh my god, Claire,” Alice looked at the ceiling in frustration. “I’m trying to do something romantic for once!”

“Oh, come on, Alice, we’ve never been one of those couples.” Claire stood up to be in front of Alice. “Just ask and I’ll say yes.”

“Just like that?” Alice arched an eyebrow.

“Yes.” Claire grinned.

Alice tilted her head. “To what I just said or to my proposal?”

“God, Alice, yes, I’ll marry you! Come here.” Claire grabbed Alice’s shirt and pulled her closer for a kiss.

Alice kissed her back eagerly before remembering she wasn’t done with her proposal. “Wait, I have a ring.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small box. “I know you’re not really one for jewelry so I tried to find something discreet.” She opened the box to reveal an engagement ring. It was small and tasteful, with 3 round natural rubies alternated with diamonds.

“Are you shitting me?” Claire brought a hand to her mouth in shock. The ring was beautiful and small enough that it wouldn’t bother her when she worked.

Alice chuckled. “Do you like it?” She removed the ring from the box and slid it around Claire’s finger.

“I… yes,” Claire stared at her left hand. “But it must have cost a fortune, there was no need to…”

“My company makes good dollars and I have money on the side,” Alice waved off her concern. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Do I want to know how you got it?” Claire knew Alice wasn’t struggling with money but she had never asked why. Last year, her girlfriend, well fiancée now, paid to build a swimming pool in their garden despite not owning a part of the house and her answer was pretty much the same: that she shouldn’t worry. She guessed they should talk about the house too now that they were engaged, but it could wait.

“No, you don’t,” Alice smirked before turning serious. “We’ve never talked about marriage before since it wasn’t legal but now it is and I thought…” She shrugged. “If anything happens to me, I want people to know that I was lucky enough to be yours.”

“You sap!” Claire pecked her lips, soft and playful. “I’ve never thought about marriage either, but with you, it feels right.” She kissed her again. “So wait, is that why you’ve been distant all week?”

“I was trying to plan the perfect evening and since you can tell when something is up…” Alice shrugged.

“Things never go as planned with us, you should know that by now.” Claire chuckled. “But it worked out just fine.” She smiled happily.

They sat down and finished their dinner. As Alice cleared the table, Claire texted her brother. **‘Apparently, I just got engaged.’**

**_Chris: ‘????’_ **

**_Chris: ‘What do you mean apparently?’_ **

**_Chris: ‘Claire?’_ **

Claire laughed at the successive text messages with little interval between them. She was ready to type an answer when she heard the Skype ringtone on her laptop. It was almost 10.30 PM so she was pretty sure she knew who it was. She moved next to the coffee table and her suspicion was confirmed when she looked at the screen. She chuckled and stopped the music playing. “Chris is calling!” She told Alice before answering. “Hello, brother!” Claire smiled.

_“What do you mean apparently?” Chris asked straight away. He was lying in bed, resting his shirtless back against the headboard._

“Well, we were having dinner, talking and laughing when suddenly Alice proposed,” Claire explained. “Now I have a ring around my finger.” She smiled as Alice joined her.

_Someone grabbed Chris’ laptop and Jill appeared on the screen. “Show me the bling!”_

“Jill?” Claire frowned. Chris was clearly ready to go to sleep so the last thing she expected was Jill to be with him. “Why are you in Chris’ bed? What…”

_“Story for another time.” Jill waved it off. “Show me!”_

Claire definitely wanted to know more but she decided to indulge her. She could ask again later. She put her hand in front of the camera. “Here.”

_Jill whistled. “Damn, you didn’t go cheap, Abernathy. Congrats!”_

_“Congratulation, Claire.” Chris smiled softly at his sister._

“Thank you.” Claire could tell her brother meant it. He was friends with Alice now and it made her happy.

_“Sherry! Little bug, come here!” Jill called loudly. “Your mammas got some news!”_

_“Jill, what are you doing?” Chris turned red and covered himself with the sheet._

Alice leaned closer to the screen. “I hope you’re all decent, I don’t want her to be scarred for life.”

_Jill snorted. “With you two, I think she’s seen it all already.”_

They heard Sherry barge into the room before seeing her jump on the bed.

_Sherry sat between Chris and Jill and pulled the laptop closer. “What’s going on? Claire? Are you alright?”_

“Yes, we’re alright, just…” Claire smiled brightly. “We’re engaged!”

_Sherry squealed in excitement. Chris winced, covering his ears as Jill laughed. “Oh my god, Alice, you finally asked!”_

“You knew?” Claire questioned in surprise.

_Sherry nodded. “Alice asked if I was okay with it.”_

Claire turned to Alice and raised a questioning eyebrow. She could definitely picture Sherry giving Alice advice on what to do for their evening.

“Well, you’re a package deal so…” Alice shrugged.

_“Yes, I’m so happy.” Sherry declared. “We need to celebrate tomorrow!”_

_“Okay, go back to bed now, show’s over.” Jill shooed her out of the bed. “Do you need us to keep her longer so you can enjoy some alone time?” She wriggled her eyebrows._

Claire chuckled. “No, we’re good.”

_“Sherry looked more excited than you two are,” Chris stated._

“We just don’t want to make a big deal out of it,” Claire told them. She was definitely happy about it, and she could tell by the smile on Alice’s face that she was too but they weren’t the type to weep over romantic gestures.

_“Well, congratulation again,” Chris said. “We’ll talk more tomorrow. Bye.”_

Alice shut down the laptop and pulled Claire closer. “Now, why don’t we go celebrate in the bedroom?” Her smile was downright sinful. She swiftly lifted Claire and carried her bridal style toward their room.

* * *

Sadly, good things never lasted for too long and a few months later, the Terragrigia incident happened. The whole world was now aware of BOWs and everyone was drowning in work. Alice had even created two other teams specialized in dealing with BOWs and she now had a contract with TerraSave.

Claire and Alice had barely seen each other in the last two months. As soon as one of them was coming home from a trip, the other was living. It was difficult and Claire was glad Sherry was in college because the girl would have felt a bit abandoned otherwise.

Claire was taking advantage of her first free weekend in a while to clean up the house. As she was sorting out some papers on the coffee table, she found a few pamphlets for caterers. She grabbed them and went to the garden where Alice was cleaning the pool. “Look what I found!” She smiled, waving the leaflets. 

Alice took them and hummed to herself. “We still haven’t talked about our wedding.”

“I know,” Claire sighed. Before Terragrigia, she had started gathering information on venues and caterers without really looking into them, thinking they would have time later. “But until things slow down, it’s going to be hard to focus on that.”

“There’s no rush.” Alice smiled reassuringly as she gave the pamphlets back.

“I'll leave you to your work.” Claire kissed Alice’s cheek, ready to go back inside but then changed her mind. “You know what? Maybe we need the distraction. How do you see our wedding? Have you thought about it already?”

Alice shook her head. “Not since I was a little girl, no.”

“Oh, now I’m intrigued!” Claire sat on the edge of the pool and plunged her legs into the water. “Tell me what little Alice dreamed her big day would be?” She patted the spot next to her.

Alice chuckled and sat next to Claire. “I thought it would be a glorious day, full of joy. I’d be surrounded by friends and family. There would be a band playing my favorite music, plenty of food and drinks. I’d wear a beautiful white dress and my husband a tuxedo. Our first dance would be sweet. We’d stand close to each other, reveling in the feel of our embrace…”

Claire laughed, loud and free. It felt nice. “Well damn, you really are a closed romantic!” She playfully bumped Alice’s shoulder with hers.

“Hardy har har.” Alice deadpanned.

“Should I wear a tux?” Claire asked, a teasing smile on her face. “Or maybe you want to rethink the whole thing and keep searching for the perfect husband?”

Alice snorted. “Nah, I think my tastes have improved since I was 10. What we have is definitely an upgrade. You can wear whatever you like, it’s your special day too.”

“Honestly, I want something small and simple. Close friends and family, nice food and, well, a band sounds nice.” Claire had never dreamed about her wedding day, even when she was younger. When she thought about love, she always remembered her parents and how much they loved and cherished each other. She wanted that more than any type of official commitment.

“I’m fine with that.” Alice kissed Claire’s forehead. They stayed there for a moment, silently enjoying each other’s company before going back to their chores.

* * *

Later at night, Claire was woken up by some noises coming from downstairs. She turned around to warn Alice but the woman was already up and getting dressed. Now that it was just the two of them in the house, they weren’t rushing to put clothes on after sex.

“Someone’s inside the house,” Alice whispered.

“Why didn’t the alarm go off?” Claire got out of bed and put her robe on.

“I don’t know.” Alice went to the vintage cabinet in the corner of the room and opened the bottom drawer to reveal a stash of weapons. There was a glass panel on top of it with a touch-screen keypad.

Claire frowned. She had no idea Alice had installed a secret drawer full of guns in their room. Her weapons were in the office, locked in a safe. “Since when do we have that? Do we really need it in our bedroom?”

“Now is not the time for a lecture. We’ll talk about it later.” Alice pressed her fingerprint on the pad and the glass panel opened. She grabbed a gun and gave one to Claire. “It works with your prints and mine.”

“We’re not killing anyone, we’re investigating.” Claire took the gun.

Alice rolled her eyes. “I know, but better be safe than sorry.” She closed the drawer and moved toward the door. “Stay behind me.”

They silently made their way downstairs and to Claire’s surprise, the lights were on in the kitchen. If it was a burglar, it was definitely not a good one.

Alice spotted the intruder kneeled behind the counter. “Don’t move!” Alice declared. When the person stood up, she stared in confusion. “Sherry?”

“Holy shit!” Sherry dropped the bag of cookies she was holding. “Don’t shoot! It’s me!”

Claire lowered her weapon at the same time as Alice. “Sherry, what are you doing here? You scared us!”

“I wanted to surprise you!” Sherry grabbed her cookies from the floor and moved to hug Claire.

“Hey, sweetie.” Claire kissed her forehead.

“At 2.AM?” Alice inquired as she checked the alarm. Now it explained why it didn’t go off.

Sherry gave Alice a hug. “No, tomorrow.”

“Maybe you could have waited for the morning instead of driving here in the middle of the night,” Claire said a bit sternly.

“I acted on an impulse.” Sherry shrugged. “And it’s just a bit more than an hour drive.”

Claire shook her head. Sometimes the girl acted a bit too much like her. “What were you doing in the kitchen?”

“I was hungry.” Sherry opened the bag of cookies, taking one. “I know there are always snacks hidden somewhere but they were hard to find this time.”

“I’m happy to see you, but Claire is right. Next time, call us beforehand.” Alice told the girl.

“Then it wouldn’t be a surprise!” Sherry pointed out with a smug smile. “Besides, I have something important I need to talk to you about.”

“What is it?” Claire frowned. What could be so important that Sherry had to visit them in the middle of the night? She was starting to think about all sorts of terrible scenarios when Sherry spoke again.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad,” Sherry reassured. “Quite the opposite actually.” She opened the fridge and poured herself a glass of milk.

“Okay.” Claire sighed in relief. “Do you want to talk about it now or can it wait?”

Sherry moved to the table and sat down, motioning for the women to do the same. Once she had their attention, she announced. “I want you to adopt me!”

“Okay…” Claire blinked, confused. “You know you’re officially an adult, right? And I’m already your guardian.”

“I know but I’d like to be part of the family,” Sherry explained. “For real.”

“It’s already the case,” Claire reached out and squeezed Sherry’s hand with a soft smile on her face. “You don’t need a piece of paper for that.”

“When I say adopt me, I mean you and Alice,” Sherry looked at Alice. “I made a new friend who has two dads and she told me all about it and I realized I wanted that too. I want to make it official.”

Alice stared at the girl, surprise written all over her face. “Are you sure it’s really what you want?”

“Alice is right, take some time to think about it. There’s no rush,” Claire stated gently. “We’re not going anywhere.” She could see Alice was moved by the request and so was she.

“You two have been taking care of me for years, I don’t need more time to know that it’s the right thing to do.” Sherry insisted, grabbing the women’s hands. “I won’t call you mom or change my name but I just want you to be the parents I come home to.”

“We can talk about it more tomorrow but if you’re sure, I would love to adopt you.” For Claire, it wouldn’t change anything, but if it was important for Sherry then she was happy to do it.

Sherry looked at Alice. “What about you?” She bit her lip nervously. “I know it might not be what you expected when you…”

“I’d be honored,” Alice quickly replied to put the girl’s mind at ease.

“Great!” Sherry clapped happily. “We can look at the paperwork tomorrow. You guys should get some rest, you look awful.” She stood up, with Claire and Alice following suit.

Claire gasped, faking hurt. “I think I’ve changed my mind!”

“No, no take-backs!” Sherry pulled the women closer and hugged them tightly. “I love you both.”

* * *

Another outbreak erupted a month later in a town in Iowa. Not long after the incident, Terrasave sent Claire with a team to help the survivors. When she arrived, the BSAA had already secured most of the town, and Alice and her agency were also on their way to help.

Claire entered the base that the BSAA had settled in an empty hangar and looked around for her brother so he could brief her on the situation. She caught sight of him talking with a group of men. “Chris!”

The man turned around and smiled at his sister before excusing himself to go meet her. “Claire, you’re here early!” He gave her a quick side-hug.

“There’s a lot to cover, I wanted a head start,” Claire stated. “Can you tell me more about the situation?”

Chris nodded. “We’re still cleaning up the north part of town but you can check the other areas. We already gathered some survivors in the other building but some are still hiding.”

“I know, my colleague Betty is already taking care of the wounded. I’ll focus on finding the other survivors.” Claire declared. They were still trying new strategies to help people more efficiently and it required working hand in hand with the BSAA. She wanted to keep her team safe but she knew they couldn’t always wait for the BSAA agents to finish their work before acting. It was why having the Red Queen agency to protect them made it easier. “Do you know where the outbreak started? Or why?”

“Jill found some clues at a company that manufactures animal vaccines,” Chris informed her. “The administration building was on fire when we arrived and when we checked their computers; all their data had been wiped out.”

“Were they testing a new virus on animals?” Claire questioned. She knew it was how Umbrella started their research but the T-virus wasn’t new so it meant they were experimenting with something else.

“That’s what we think but they’re clearly working for someone else,” Chris answered.

Claire sighed. “Did you find any employees?” Since the Terragrigia incident, they were dealing with terrorist organizations more than pharmaceutical accidents but it didn’t mean a new Umbrella’s sprout wasn’t working in the shadow.

“They’re either dead or missing,” Chris replied. “We don’t have all the names but Jill is still investigating the place.”

“Okay, well, we can talk more later.” Claire grabbed her fingerless gloves from the back pocket of her jeans and put them on. “Is it safe to send my people now?” She glanced at her thigh holster and made sure it was secure.

“My men are patrolling the perimeter but you should stay alert.” Chris reached for the radio hooked to his belt and handed it to Claire. “Radio me if you need anything.”

Claire thanked her brother and left the building. Alice was already waiting for her. She briefed her on the situation as they joined their respective teams that were all gathered at the same spot.

“Alright, people,” Claire called for everyone’s attention. “I want two TerraSave members with a trooper. You already know who your partners are. Look for survivors. If they’re not wounded or infected, tell them to go to our base. There are 3 school buses waiting to drive them there. If they need medical assistance, tend to their wounds as best as you can and call Betty’s team so they can pick them up. The BSAA is patrolling the streets but it doesn’t mean there’s no zombie on the loose so be careful.” She nodded at Alice to continue. After a few missions together, they had perfected a work routine.

“Shade, take your men and go with Betty’s team,” Alice ordered. “J.D and Mason, you two go east with team Beta, there are a lot of houses to check. Carter, west with team Gamma. Warner, you take south with team Delta. Ocampo…”

Rain raised her hand. “Let me guess, north?”

“Well, aren’t you a smart girl?” Alice smirked. “Take your team and the rest of the TS members north but stay alert, the BSAA is still finishing up cleaning the area.” She looked at the man who was staring at his PDA. “Kaplan, you stay at the base to confirm the survivors arrive safely.”

“Come on, let’s spread out,” Claire announced.

Rain stayed behind and approached her boss. “Do I need to guess who you’re teaming with?” She winked at Claire. “We really need to stop meeting like this. I’m still waiting for my dinner invitation.”

“And I’m waiting for you to do your job,” Alice said sternly.

Claire laughed. “Once we all get home safely, we can set a date. No cancellation this time.” She had met Rain in passing several times since they talked on the phone for the first time but every time she tried to invite the woman, something came up and they had to postpone. To her knowledge, Rain was Alice’s closest friend and they were going out for drinks at least once a month, with or without some of their colleagues, but her fiancée didn’t seem in any hurry to invite her for dinner. She knew it wasn’t because Alice was ashamed of them - little could faze that woman - but she was still fiercely protective of her privacy. Despite keeping things professional at work, Claire was pretty much everyone was aware of their relationship but she wondered who knew about Sherry and how they would soon be the girl’s official adoptive ‘parents’.

Rain smiled. “She is definitely nicer than you.”

“I’ve never pretended otherwise. Now go!” Alice waved her away. Once they were alone, she asked. “Where do you want to go first?”

“To the vaccines factory. Jill is there and I need to ask her some questions.” Claire replied with a small smile. As they started walking in direction of the building, she questioned her fiancée. “So, do Rain know about Sherry?”

“Kind of.”

“Kind of?” Claire arched an eyebrow.

“She suspects,” Alice explained. “Remember the framed picture Sherry offered me last Christmas? I put it in my office and she saw it.”

Claire tried not to coo at the thought of Alice putting a picture of the three of them on her desk. She also had one in her office - another gift from Sherry - so it was sweet to know Alice had done the same. “I don’t understand why you just don’t tell her, she’s your friend.”

Alice shrugged. “I’m just not used to share details about my personal life.”

“Just say you don’t want her to tease you about it.” Claire chuckled.

“I will neither confirm nor deny that statement,” Alice said in false seriousness before laughing.

Once they arrived at the location, Claire looked for Jill. Like Chris had mentioned, a part of the building had been destroyed by the flames but the rest was still standing. She squinted her eyes to find Jill among the mess. Her friend was sitting on the floor, surrounded by documents. “Jill?”

Jill lifted her head and gave a tired smile. “Claire, you’re here! Hi, Alice.”

“Jill.” Alice nodded with a smile then wandered around. She slid her rifle behind her back and started looking for suspicious files on the desks and in the trash.

Claire moved closer to Jill. She reached down and squeezed her shoulder. “Find what you are looking for?”

Jill sighed. “No.” She stood up and threw the file she was holding on a desk. “Just notes on animal testing.”

“Chris said they erased everything.” Claire knew she was there to help the survivors and not to investigate the cause of the outbreak but she liked to know the details.

“Yeah, but I was hoping some documents were left behind.” Jill ran a hand through her hair. “Anyway, do you need anything?”

“If you find a list of the employees with addresses, can you give me a call?” Claire asked. “We’re checking houses and if one of them belongs to an employee, we could search the place for info.”

“It’s not really legal,” Jill said with an amused smile.

“Because secretly working with the T-virus is?” Claire always tried to respect people’s rights, even in the middle of an outbreak - she was part of a human rights organization after all - but sometimes, some situations required to bend the law.

“Point taken.” Jill chuckled. “I’ll let you know if I find anything.”

“Thanks.” Claire stepped away, ready to leave but then she remembered the last conversation they had together. With their hectic schedule, Claire hadn’t seen Chris and Jill outside of work, only talking with them over the phone for a few minutes. She still didn’t know what was going on between her brother and Jill and she was dying for answers. “I know it’s neither the time nor the place, but once things slow down, I want you and Chris to come to our place for dinner. Maybe as an official couple?” She wiggled her eyebrows.

Jill groaned. “Claire, I haven’t stayed at my apartment for more than 3 days in months. I think it can wait. Besides, we’re not a couple.”

“You two are hopeless.” Claire pouted.

Alice joined them. “Well Valentine, I’m glad you’re getting some.” She smirked.

“Shut up!” Jill pushed her playfully. “Don’t you have some work to do?”

“Yes, we should go, but this conversation isn’t over,” Claire announced with a big shark smile.

“Yes, it is.” Jill waved them away.

Claire laughed before wishing her good luck and leaving the building. With Alice, they started checking some stores, killing a few zombies on the way. Chris was right, despite his teams’ work, there were still some undead hiding in offices or closets.

* * *

An hour later, Claire received a list of addresses from Jill so she decided to stop checking the stores and go have a look at some of the houses instead. As they made their way to the second address, they heard screams and gunshots coming from the north side of town. Claire frowned and looked at Alice. Her fiancée was on alert, holding her rifle ready. When the commotion grew louder and they saw people running toward them, Claire radioed her brother. “Chris? What the fuck is going on? There are people running everywhere!”

_“We have a breach Sector 4,” Chris answered, shouting so he could be heard among the sound of bullets._

“Fuck!” Claire turned to Alice to share the news but the woman was already talking to her crew. They rushed in direction of the base but stopped when they ran into Rain and her team.

“Rain!” Alice called. “Why are you not in position?”

“We were trying to help but they sent us away to take care of the civilians.” Rain rolled her eyes in annoyance. “The BSAA wants to blow up a bridge but Ortiz is still on the other side and they are not listening to me. I can’t contact him so you better go or I swear, I’m gonna start swinging.”

“Shit. I better take care of this.” Alice looked at Claire. “Are you coming?”

Claire shook her head. “We need to find the rest of the survivors and put them to safety. The longer we wait, the more chance there is that one of them could turn. The situation was under control and I don’t want to start over once they dealt with the breach.”

“I don’t want you to go alone,” Alice stated.

“I’ll be fine, go!” Claire smiled reassuringly before walking away to help a couple that was standing on the side of the road. 

“I’ll stay with her.” Rain stated. She stepped away but Alice grabbed her wrist. She didn’t need words to understand the look Alice was giving her. “I’ll protect her like she was mine.” She smirked.

Alice nodded and ordered Rain’s team to go look after civilians before running toward sector 4.

After sending the panicked couple to the base, Claire decided to check the abandoned buildings around them. She wanted to stay around just in case and could search the houses later. Rain did not oppose to the idea.

“Who’s the man who got you all worked up?” Claire asked lightly as they walked toward a gas station.

“Some guy name Hart something, I don’t know.” Rain cracked her neck. “Some gringo who thinks he’s hot shit.”

Claire laughed. “Don’t worry, Alice is going to take care of it.”

“I know,” Rain chuckled. “We used to call her Ass-Kicking Alice back when…” She trailed off.

“Back when you were working for Umbrella?” Claire finished for.

Rain raised an eyebrow. “She told you?”

“Yes.” Claire knew some of Alice’s employees used to work for Umbrella and somehow, it made sense to have them in a special unit. Instead of hiding, they were trying to own up to what they did and she could respect that.

“And you don’t have a problem with that?” Rain questioned, her eyes scanning the place as they approached the building entrance.

Claire shrugged. “Alice vouched for you and you are here, helping, that’s enough for me.” She frowned when Rain laughed. “What’s so funny?”

“I can’t believe that bitch got lucky enough to find a woman like you.” Rain answered, amused. “You’re a hot babe, you’re smart, pretty good at what you do…” She smirked.

“Be careful, she could get jealous.” Claire chuckled as she reached for the door but Rain stopped her. “What?”

“Let me go first.” Rain stated.

Claire frowned. She was used to team up with Alice and they worked in sync without needing words so it was weird to be with someone who questioned her actions. “I’m not a damsel and I’m not in distress. I can take care of myself.”

“I know,” Rain chuckled. “I saw you kill 6 zombies in a row, all headshots, but if anything happens to you, that’s my ass on the line, so I’ll go first.”

“Fine.” Claire sighed. She could tell it was pointless to argue and she didn’t want to waste any more time. “After you!”

Rain winked at her before entering the gas station. She was barely inside that she heard a snarl. She aimed to the side and shot the zombie rushing toward her. After making sure no one else was there, she spoke. “I thought the big boys had cleared up the place already.”

“They did,” Claire confirmed, looking at the body. He was an old man, wearing overalls so she guessed it was the owner. “He was probably bitten and decided to hide here.” She glanced around. “The BSAA teams usually do a second sweep to get the rest of them but I wanted TerraSave to intervene sooner this time.” The last time an outbreak happened, things didn’t go well. Claire had spotted a few groups of survivors but they had to wait for the BSAA to be done with their second search. By the time they were able to reach the survivors, they had lost a whole group because one of them had turned and killed everyone around. Claire had decided to be more proactive after that. Now, as soon as a place was safe enough, TerraSave joined in the search of the survivors to avoid more deaths. She knew she was only able to do that thanks to Alice’s agency.

“Let’s check the other buildings.” Rain announced. They left the place and checked the other stores until they reached an abandoned K-mart. “Where did you learn to defend yourself? You don’t give off the army vibe.”

“My brother taught me; he was in the military. He’s working for the BSAA. Chris Redfield? You must have met him.” Claire and her brother weren’t always sent on the same missions but since he was one of the founders of the organization, Rain could have met him.

“No, we usually don’t interact with the BSAA.” Rain's face twisted in disgust. “They think we’re just some dumb mercenaries playing bodyguards so we let Alice act as a liaison with them.”

“Well, you’re working for TerraSave so the next time one of them has a problem with you being here, you tell me.” The BSAA didn’t like people treading on their patches but the Red Queen agency wasn’t a rival, they were there to help and not just the TerraSave members or the civilians. There was enough work for everyone. Claire made a mental note to talk to Chris about that.

Rain snorted. “What are you gonna do, princess, lecture them?”

“Actually, yes.” Claire smiled. She stopped in front of the old supermarket and let Rain lead the way. The door was blocked from the inside by a chair but Rain kicked it open and entered the place. Claire pulled out her gun and followed. It was dark so she turned her flashlight on. The place was silent but she could smell the stench of death. The silence didn’t last long and soon, several zombies rushed toward them. She heard Rain shoot first and she followed suit. When the shooting stopped, Claire squinted her eyes, trying to see if there were still zombies around. She noticed one of them was still moving on the ground so she stepped closer and finished him. She stared at the body. “Oh my god, they’re teenagers…” Claire knew deep down that all the undead used to be people, they used to have a life, a family but with time, she had learned how to compartmentalize. They couldn’t be saved so the only thing she could do was to give them eternal rest. However, when it came to children, Claire always had a harder time dealing with her actions. Her mind was always going to Sherry and what would have happened if she hadn’t found her when she did.

Rain touched her arm. “Let’s keep going.”

Claire nodded. They cautiously moved further into the building. When they checked the empty manager’s office, Claire heard noises coming from the closet. She tapped Rain’s shoulder and pointed at it.

Rain put a finger to her lips and stepped to the side. She nodded at Claire, silently motioning for her to open the door.

Claire lifted three fingers and began to count down before opening the door. Her eyes fell on a young blonde girl, probably not more than 13. She put a hand on Rain’s arm to tell her to lower her weapon. She holstered her gun and kneeled down to talk to the girl. “It’s okay, sweetie, we’re here to help.” She smiled softly. “Are you hurt?” The girl shook her head no. Claire scanned her body for bites but she couldn’t see any. “Are you alone?” The girl nodded. “Were you with the group we found outside of this room?” The girl nodded once again.

“Why isn’t she talking?” Rain asked out loud.

Claire ignored her. “I need you to come with me, honey, so we can take you somewhere safe.” She reached out but the girl pulled away in fear.

The girl looked around frantically then grabbed the notebook at her feet and started writing something. She showed it to Claire. _‘They’re all dead, it’s not safe!’_

“We took care of them…” Claire didn’t want to use the word kill in case they were the girl’s friends. “We can take you to our base and look for your family once we’re there.”

The girl sniffled and scribbled her answer. _‘My parents are dead too. I have nowhere to go…’_

“I’m sorry.” Claire reached out again to take the girl’s hand and this time, she didn’t pull away. “I know it’s hard but we can’t stay here. Can you walk?” Claire stood up but didn’t let go of the girl’s hand.

The blonde slowly got out of the closet. She took a step forward and winced.

Claire looked at the girl who was actually quite tall for a teenager and saw blood on her knee. It was clear that she wouldn’t be able to walk. “Why don’t you jump on my back?”

“I can carry her.” Rain offered.

Claire shook her head with a smile. “It’s okay. Just make sure nothing jumps on us.” The girl jumped on her back and they quickly exited the building. Once outside, Rain radioed one of her teammates so they could pick them up. As they waited, Claire kept trying to make the girl talk. “My name is Claire, what’s yours?”

The blonde opened then closed her mouth. “I…” She cleared her throat. “I don’t like my name.”

“It’s okay,” Claire gently tucked some hair away from her face. “Let’s try something else. How old are you?”

The girl stared at Claire then sighed. “13.”

“Do you want to tell me what happened to you?” Claire questioned.

The girl shook her head and didn’t say anything else until they reached the base. Once there, Claire took her to Betty so she could check on her. When Claire tried to leave, the girl panicked so she took her hands in hers and tried to reassure her. “I just need to talk to the lady over there.” She pointed at Rain. “And I’ll be right back. Don’t worry, Betty is my friend and she’s going to take good care of you.” She squeezed the girl’s hands one last time before joining Rain.

“Are we going back?” Rain inquired.

“No, it will be dark soon. Call back everyone.” Claire announced. “Do you know how many survivors made it to the base?”

“Kaplan!” Rain barked.

Claire saw a man rush toward them. From what Alice told her, he was new and the tech guy of the team but his combat skills needed some improvement and Rain had little patience for that.

The man saluted. “Yes, ma’am?”

Rain rolled her eyes at him. “How did it go with the survivors?”

“Good. Big groups started coming when they saw our teams knocking on doors. We put them in another building.” Kaplan explained.

“Do you have news from Sector 4?” Claire asked, ignoring the look of annoyance on Rain’s face at the man’s presence. It was clear that the woman wasn’t a fan of him.

“Yes, Ms. Redfield,” Kaplan nodded. “The situation is now under control.”

“Okay, go back to work!” Rain shooed him away. She looked at Claire. “I guess Alice should join us soon.”

“Good.” Claire smiled tiredly. She slowly removed her gloves and put them back into her pocket. All in all, the day went well but they still had work to do. “I’m going to…”

“Well fuck me!” Rain cut her off. “Is that a ring around your finger or did you pull the pin out of a fancy grenade?”

Claire looked at her left hand. She guessed Alice hadn’t shared the news. “Surprise!” She joked.

“That son of… I’m gonna kick her ass for not telling me.” Rain shook her head incredulously but there was a smile on her face. “And here I thought you would come to your sense and leave her so I could comfort you.”

Claire laughed. “Sorry, you’re too late.”

Rain put a hand to her heart. “You’re breaking my heart, Mrs…Abernathy?”

“Hell no, I’m keeping my name!” They hadn’t talked about last names with Alice but Claire knew she wanted to keep hers.

“I knew you were smart.” Rain smirked. “But seriously, congratulation!”

“Thank you.” Claire smiled. “Should I tell Alice that you know?”

“Oh no, I want to drop hints and see how long it takes her to say something.” Rain smiled devilishly.

“Alright.” Claire patted her arm. “When you see Alice, tell her I’m here. I want to stay with the girl.”

Rain nodded and went to talk to Kaplan again.

* * *

Claire was lying on a cot, the girl she had rescued sleeping in her arms when Alice found her.

“Hey,” Alice murmured with a smile.

“Hi.” Claire smiled back. She slowly untangled herself from the girl's grasp without waking her up and followed Alice outside. They found a quiet place on the side of the building to talk. “How are you?” She cupped Alice’s face and gently removed some dried blood from a gash on her forehead with her thumb.

“I’m okay. Ortiz is fine but I think I made a new enemy.” Alice said, almost smugly.

Claire chuckled. “I can’t leave you alone, can I?”

“You’re one to talk,” Alice snorted. “I leave you out of my sight for a few hours and when I come back, you adopted another child.”

“Hey!” Claire swatted her arm. “You’re not funny!”

“I’m hilarious,” Alice smirked.

“Well at least one of us thinks so.” Claire playfully glared at her.

Alice checked if anyone was around before pulling Claire closer so they could hug each other loosely. “Who is she?”

“We found her in an abandoned K-mart. She’s not very talkative but after what she’s been through, it’s understandable. She refused to tell me her name but I know that she’s 13. Her parents are dead, she fled her house with her cousin and they hid together in the building where we found her. Apparently, it was some sort of teenagers’ squat… That’s all I know.” 

“What’s going to happen to her?” Alice asked.

“We’re going to look for her closest relatives and if she doesn’t have any, she’ll probably stay at the TerraSave orphanage,” Claire said sadly. She had helped set up the place after so many children lost their parents in Terragrigia but it was always heartbreaking to send kids there when they didn’t have anywhere else to go.

“Hey,” Alice removed the hand she had on Claire’s hip to lift the woman’s chin. “You can’t save everyone. You’re already doing a lot, but you’re not the one responsible for this.”

Claire sighed. “I know but… I had to kill some of her friends, they were just kids…”

Alice hugged her tightly and they stayed like that for a while, taking comfort in each other until someone asked for Alice’s help on the radio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so used to fanfics set in present time that I forgot homophobia existed for a minute. But since it’s all fictional and there are zombies, men punching boulders and way too advanced technology for the ’90s, I think we can add some gay rights and say same-sex marriage/ adoption became legal in America in 2004.
> 
> The part about Alice’s dream wedding is from the novelization.


	13. Chapter 13

Things had slowed down a bit after the outbreak in Iowa and Claire was grateful for that. She was still keeping an eye on the girl she had rescued there. She had discovered her name was Dahlia Julia Mancini but the girl hated her name. Dahlia’s friends used to call her D.J but apparently, she didn’t like it either because, according to her, it sounded like she should be working at a radio station. Betty and Mikey started calling her K-mart since they found her there and the girl didn’t seem to mind. Claire wasn’t a fan of the nickname, it was the name of a freaking supermarket and the girl wouldn’t be able to live with it forever but for now, it was better than nothing. Claire decided to call her ‘K’ to make it less weird. Since the girl didn’t have any family, she was stuck at the orphanage. It always broke Claire’s heart when the kids they had rescued didn’t have any relatives to take them in. 

On a brighter side, Dahlia had slowly started opening up, even if only with Claire. The girl was funny, sweet, and smart but didn’t let anyone see it. The social worker could barely get more than one-word answers from her.

After a month at the orphanage, K-mart started acting up. On top of her nightmares, she had some uncharacteristic outbursts of anger. One day, when Claire visited her after work, she found K-mart confined to her room after a physical fight with a boy who touched her stuff. Worried, Claire decided to check with the social worker, even if she knew she could get in trouble for interfering. The woman made it clear that if Dahlia continued with her behavior, they would have to transfer her to another facility - one for more troubled children - in order to protect the others.

Claire didn’t want K-mart to go there, it felt like abandoning her. Slowly but surely, the idea of becoming the girl’s foster family took hold. She was aware that it would require a lot of adjustments but it was just temporary, until the girl felt better and got adopted, at least it was what Claire kept telling herself... Claire had addressed the subject with her boss and the social worker and both women weren’t opposed to it if she was serious. Now Claire had to talk to Alice about it. She didn’t really know how her fiancée was going to react. Alice had been okay with Sherry but it might be different with K. They had never talked about having kids because they had to take care of Sherry and the topic never came up again after that. Claire knew she wanted to adopt at some point but what about Alice?

When Claire arrived home, the house was empty so she took her time to shower, put some comfortable clothes on and make dinner. Just when she was finishing setting the table, the front door opened.

Alice stepped into the kitchen with a smile. “Smells good in here.” She leaned toward Claire and kissed her cheek. “Hey, babe!”

“Hey.” Claire smiled back at her. “How was your day?”

“Full of paperwork,” Alice made a face. “Never liked that part.” She moved toward the kitchen stove and tried to steal some food but Claire lightly swatted her hand away from the frying pan.

“Your manners!” Claire tutted with a teasing grin.

Alice smirked. “I don’t have any.” She pulled Claire closer and kissed her soundly. “I’m gonna go change and then we can eat.” She gently slapped her fiancée’s ass before stepping away.

“Okay, I…” Claire hesitated. They were both home relatively ‘early’ and in good mood, if their conversation didn’t go well, the evening could go downhill pretty fast. On the other hand, she knew it couldn’t wait. “I need to talk to you about something while we eat.”

“Sure, I’ll be quick.” Alice went upstairs and came back five minutes later. “So how was _your_ day?” She sat down at the table opposite Claire.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about…” Claire started. “Actually no, first, what are your thoughts on having kids?” She wasn’t one to beat around the bush and even though she wanted to talk about K-mart, the issue was bigger than that. They were engaged, Claire should have brought up the subject sooner but they did everything out of order in their relationship so far and it always worked out.

Alice blinked, clearly not expecting the question. “Huh, I don’t know…” She frowned.

“I don’t mean getting pregnant but like, adopting a child?” Claire clarified. She definitely didn’t want to carry a child and she didn’t think Alice wanted that either. “Or a second one since we have Sherry, you know what I mean...”

“I haven’t thought about it.” Alice stiffened and reached for her drink, taking a sip of wine. “Why?”

“Just curious…” Claire shrugged. It wasn’t a ‘yes’ but Alice didn’t look completely opposed to the idea either.

Alice’s frown deepened. “Where is that coming from? What does it have to do with your work?”

Claire sighed. Here went nothing. “Do you remember K-mart?” When Alice stared at her in confusion, she developed. “The girl I helped during the outbreak in Iowa. Her name is Dahlia but she hates it so everyone started calling her K-mart.”

“Sounds better than Target.” Alice chuckled.

“It wasn’t my idea.” Claire rolled her eyes. “Anyway, I visit her two or three times a week, and well, she’s… struggling to adjust.”

Alice nodded. “It’s understandable, she went through something traumatic.”

“Yes, I agree but she has a lot of pent-up anger and they could send her somewhere else because of that,” Claire explained. “So, I thought we could take her in for a while…”

“Claire…” Alice paused as if looking for the right words. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. We’re always working late and we’ve barely seen each other the last couple of months. Now that things are slowing down, I thought we could go on a little vacation and…”

“We can still do that!” Claire assured her. “We just have to organize ourselves.”

“It’s not like we have 9 to 5 jobs. No one will entrust us with the care of a child.” Alice pointed out. “And I’m over thirty now, I want to enjoy the little free time I have…”

“My boss said it was okay and it’s just temporary until K-mart rebuilds herself,” Claire argued. Seeing how the conversation was going, she didn’t feel like it was the right time to tell Alice that she wanted to adopt in a couple of years.

Alice put her fork down, her hunger forgotten. “And then what?”

“I don’t know, Alice.” Claire took a sip of her wine to calm her nerves. The conversation was definitely not going well. She had expected a ‘let’s think about it’ or a ‘maybe’ but not a ‘our kid is in college now, let’s enjoy our freedom’ type of answer. 

“Can’t you see a pattern here?” Alice asked, almost reprovingly.

“What do you mean?” Claire crossed her arms. There was something in her fiancée’s tone that she didn’t like.

“You found a kid who lost her parents in the middle of an outbreak. You saved her, grew attached and now you want to take her in.” Alice tilted her head, as if it was obvious. “It’s just like Sherry.”

Claire could feel her anger rising. “It’s not the same thing!” She could understand and even accept that Alice didn’t feel the same about having children but there was no need to be condescending about it. She hated when Alice was using that tone during their fights.

“Well, it looks like it.” Alice wiped her mouth with her napkin and stood up. “Are you gonna do that with every kid you rescue?”

“Of course not!” It was a low blow and Claire was sure Alice knew it. “But she’s a teenager, no one wants to adopt them. Adoptive families want cute babies or preschoolers but teenagers need love too.” Claire usually stayed away from the orphanage, it wasn’t her job to manage it but now and then, she would check who got adopted. Even if she tried not to get attached, some kids stood out in her memory – K-mart was one of them - and she wanted them to find a loving home. She wanted all of them to find a new family because they were all innocent, just collateral damage in a war Umbrella started in secret decades ago. She knew what it was like to lose a parent, and she would carry that with her for the rest of her life but those children didn’t just lose their family, they had to live a real nightmare full of zombies, blood, and death. They deserved some peace.

Alice paced back and force in the kitchen before leaning against the counter. “I told you several times, you can’t help everyone.” She crossed her arms. “I know it’s hard to hear it but you’re not mother Teresa and we’re not opening an orphanage.”

Claire stood up abruptly and shook her head. “You can be such an asshole sometimes!” She started walking away. She didn’t want to keep talking and say something she might regret.

“Claire…”

Claire stopped and turned around. “I lost my parents too and without Chris, I would have ended up where they are. I’m not doing charity; I’m just trying to be nice because their life isn’t and the system can make it worse. If you can’t understand that, then maybe you’re not the woman I thought you were…” She headed to her room upstairs, slamming the door behind her.

“Shit…” Alice breathed out.

* * *

Alice fell asleep on the couch that night. When Claire didn’t come back to finish her dinner, it was a clear sign that she didn’t want to see or talk to her so Alice thought it was better to stay away.

Usually, when they had a fight, they would still go to bed together and talk the next day, once they had cooled off. This time, Alice knew she had crossed a line and she hated herself for it.

When Alice came home the next day, she found a note from Claire letting her know that she would be staying with Chris and Jill for a couple of days and it was even clearer now that she had fucked up. They didn’t have a fight this bad since she revealed her ties to Umbrella years ago. She was glad Claire’s family wasn’t on a mission for once, at least she would have someone to talk to. Alice texted Claire to tell her that she didn’t have to leave the house. She might have bought her share of the place but it felt wrong to stay there after what happened. Alice could stay in the little on-call room she had at work but Claire texted her back that it wasn’t necessary. She stared at the note once again, at least Claire’s engagement ring was not on the table with it.

Alice sighed. Life was easier when all she had to worry about was the security of one of the most powerful corporations in the world. Back then, she used to keep people at arm's length, for fear of getting attached or being responsible for someone else other than herself but things had changed. She had been given a second chance, with a partner, a kid, a family, and she refused to let them down and lose them.

She had never thought about having children, at least not since she was in high school, wondering what her life would be like in the future. While working for Umbrella, Alice had accepted the fact that she would never have time to build a family. She wasn’t a housewife and yet, the evenings she spent at home with Claire and Sherry meant everything to her. She wasn’t a mother either, not really, Sherry was in the picture from the start and never called them moms. It was different to purposely choose to adopt another teenage girl. Even though Claire said it was temporary, she knew the woman wouldn’t let K-mart get adopted by another family once she felt better.

Alice went to the fridge and grabbed a beer. She took a sip of her drink and sighed again. Maybe she was kidding herself. She might not have said it out loud but she considered Sherry like a daughter. Maybe it was why she hadn’t talked to some of her work friends about her, it made it too real. Claire was great with kids, it always looked so natural for her but Alice felt unsure, scared to mess things up. The only time she doubted herself was when it came to her family. She didn’t like feeling vulnerable. Since she was a young woman, she had trained herself to be detached, to kill people without a second thought. There was no place for weakness in her work but she wasn’t working for Umbrella anymore. She was a different person now too and she liked it. Claire helped her become a better person and she didn’t want to go back to who she used to be.

The more Alice thought about their fight, the more she realized why she had snapped at Claire. She was trying to self-sabotage her life. Even years later, she was still battling with the guilt of her past. It was easier to say no than let herself hope things could get even better, that her happiness was there to stay. It was easier to ruin everything now than witness Claire realize that she was a terrible wife and mother. She took another sip of her beer and groaned. She needed something stronger.

* * *

Sherry visited them for the weekend so Claire came back home for the occasion. Alice didn’t know if Claire told Chris and Jill about what happened between them but since none of them had barged into her room with a gun in the middle of the night, she supposed she hadn’t.

Soon after settling into her room, Sherry noticed something was off between them but despite her pestering, neither she nor Claire said anything.

After dinner, Alice went to the living room to watch TV and to her surprise, Sherry joined her. The girl lay on the couch and rested her head on Alice’s lap. Sherry might be 18 but she was still very affectionate with them. Alice smiled at her and absentmindedly played with her hair. “Where’s Claire?” She asked after a while.

“In her office, she said she had some work to do,” Sherry answered.

Alice nodded. If she was honest with herself, she had missed having the girl around sometimes. “Do you want to play a game or do something?”

Sherry shook her head. “No, it’s okay…” She paused. “I’d like to talk though.”

“About?” Alice arched an eyebrow.

“You and Claire.” Sherry twisted around so she could lie on her back and see Alice.

Alice groaned. “Sherry.” It was almost a warning.

“I know it’s none of my business but I hate to see you like this. Claire doesn’t want to say anything because clearly, she doesn’t want me to take sides but I’m not a child anymore.” Sherry sighed. “I thought things were going well. Two weeks ago, you were all lovey-dovey and I was checking dresses for your wedding.”

“We’re not lovey-dovey.” Alice snorted. “And we haven’t set a date yet.”

“You’re missing the point.” Sherry waved her hand. “I mean… Should I be worried?”

Alice sighed. She didn’t want Sherry to feel bad or even worry about them. “We’ll work things out but no matter what, we love you.”

Sherry pulled away and sat down. “Okay, that’s not reassuring at all!” She frowned. “What’s going on?”

“It’s between Claire and me.” Alice definitely hoped she would be able to fix the situation but if Claire didn’t want to talk to her, she wasn’t about to force her just because Sherry pushed them to.

Sherry reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Is that why you’re fighting?”

Alice took the piece of paper and unfolded it. It was a foster family application form with Dahlia’s name on it. The names of the applicants were still blank. “Where did you find this?”

“In Claire’s bag.” Sherry saw the dark look Alice gave her so she rushed to explain. “I wasn’t snooping around; I was just looking for some cash to tip the delivery guy.”

“You should put it back.” Alice handed it back to her. She didn’t know how she felt about that form. Did Claire start the process and then stopped because of her or did she get it afterward?

“You are not answering, so I guess I was right. Are you trying to adopt?” Sherry questioned.

“I think you should ask Claire.” Alice didn’t want to make things worse with her fiancée.

“Well, I’m asking you.” Sherry insisted.

Just like Claire, Sherry had the habit of not letting things go and Alice knew that she wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Claire rescued a girl on our last mission. She’s… having a hard time at the orphanage so Claire wants to take her in for a while.”

Sherry grinned. “That’s awesome! I always wanted a sibling. If things go well you could adopt her permanently and I’d have a sister. I could show her some many stuff and…” She trailed off when she realized Alice wasn’t as excited as she was. “You don’t want another kid?”

Alice was touched that Sherry saw her as her parent. She had always been a sweet, loving girl so Alice wasn’t surprised to hear that she would welcome K-mart with open arms. Somehow, it made her feel even worse about the whole thing. “It’s complicated…”

“I don’t think it is,” Sherry stated. “You either want kids or you don’t.”

Alice opened then closed her mouth. “I don’t know…”

“You should think about it,” Sherry advised gently. “And for what it’s worth, I think you would make a great mom. I know because I feel lucky to have you.” She kissed Alice’s cheek before living the room.

Alice took a shaky breath. Sherry’s words had struck a chord. It somehow soothed her worries but a little voice inside her head kept telling her that comparing to Sherry’s birth parents, it wasn’t hard to do better.

When Alice went upstairs later, she found Claire and Sherry asleep in her bed. She smiled fondly and turned the bedside lamp off before going to the guest room to sleep.

* * *

After Sherry’s departure, things were less tensed at the Abernathy-Redfield household but Alice still felt like she was losing Claire. She had tried to talk to her but it ended up in another fight. Alice knew she had to do something so after pondering her choices she decided to visit K-mart.

Alice had talked to K-mart a few times in Iowa because the girl had been stuck to Claire like glue until they had to leave. She thought she was a good kid but she needed to know more. If Claire thought she was worth the effort, then she wanted to try and get to know the girl.

She waited until Claire was busy at a protest to go to the orphanage. She had a guest ID to attend meetings at TerraSave, so she showed it to the clerk. Sweet talking the woman at the reception wasn’t enough to get in but luckily, she bumped into Betty. K-mart had gotten into another fight and the medic was called to check on her because the girl didn’t trust the other doctor. Once Betty vouched for her and checked on K-mart, she gave Alice an ice-pack and told her to go to the girl’s room. K-mart was sitting at her desk so Alice gently knocked on the open door not to startle her.

K-mart turned around. “Hi?”

“Hey.” Alice smiled. “Do you remember me?”

“You’re Claire’s friend,” K-mart stated. She had a smile on her face, like she was glad to have a visitor.

“Something like that.” Alice pointed at the bed, silently asking if she could sit. She received a nod. “How are you?” She asked as she sat down.

K-mart snorted. “What do you think?”

Alice chuckled. “Dumb question, got it.” She looked around the room. It was small but clean. There were pictures on the wall, probably the girl’s family. There were also a few knick-knacks on the shelves that TerraSave must have gathered for her from her old house. She glanced at the girl and noticed the beginning of a bruise on her chin. She remembered the ice pack in her hand and gave it to her. “For your face.”

“Thanks.” K-mart took it and put it on her jaw.

“So, I heard you’re a bit of a fighter?” Alice didn’t know why it was the first thing that came to her mind but she had never been good with small talk. K-mart simply shrugged at her. “You know, if you’re angry, you should take a deep breath and count to ten. It’s better than hurting yourself on someone else’s face.”

K-mart didn’t answer. Instead, she turned back to her desk and played with some embroidery floss.

“But… You’re also allowed to defend your stuff.” Alice continued after a moment, trying to make the girl react.

K-mart laughed lightly. She looked at Alice over her shoulder. “You’re the first person to tell me that. The others lectured me about how violence isn’t the answer.”

“They’re not wrong,” Alice replied. She wasn’t really the best person to talk about bad behaviors. She was too stubborn for her own good and always refused to back down. It was a problem and it had cost her a lot over the years. But K-mart was young and she still had time to grow. “You are allowed to be angry after what happened to you but fighting everyone won’t make you feel better, trust me.” Once again, the girl didn’t answer. Claire probably gave her a whole speech about that and her fiancée was definitely better with words than she was so Alice decided to change the topic. “So, K-mart, huh? Interesting name… Do you take criticism or…?”

“No.” K-mart chuckled and finally turned around. “Never liked my real name.” She shrugged. “It’s not like it matters anymore. I’ll never go back to the life I had.”

“That’s exactly why it matters. Sometimes your name is all you can keep with you.” Alice said gently. She had spent years with nothing but her name to call her own so she could understand where the girl was coming from.

“A new name for a new beginning.” K-mart declared.

“Yeah, I’m not sure civil officers agree with you on that one.” Alice joked.

K-mart smiled, amused. “It can be a surname.”

“I guess it can.” Alice’s phone dinged with a new text. She was supposed to meet Rain and Shade for an armory review.

“Do you have to go?” The girl looked at Alice with sadness in her eyes.

“Yes, sorry.” Alice stood up. She hadn't expected to stay that long.

“Will you come back?” K-mart asked hopeful. “Except for Claire, and maybe Betty and Mikey, everyone is lame here.”

Alice laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.” She didn’t want to make any promises she couldn’t keep. She had been lucky enough to get through security without serious trouble but she knew that, without Claire or Betty, she wouldn’t be able to get in again.

“Wait!” K-mart reached for the friendship bracelet that she working on. She took Alice’s hand and slid the bracelet around her wrist, tying it up. “Here.”

“What’s that for?” Alice reverently touched the rainbow-colored bracelet.

“For luck.” K-mart shrugged. “For caring…”

“Thank you.” Alice patted the girl’s arm. “Take care, okay?”

“Yeah, you too.” K-mart gave her a small smile before waving her goodbye.

* * *

The next day, Claire came back from work early. She had had a long week and she was tired. The protest she had organized went well but somehow; she couldn’t really enjoy the victory. The situation at home with Alice was starting to take a toll on her and she knew it was time to have an honest conversation with her. At first, she had waited because she needed some time to calm down and push away the hurt but then, her work kept her busy and before she knew it, a full week had gone by. They were sleeping in the same bed again but apart from ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’, they had barely exchanged words. They were both adults, it shouldn’t be so hard to talk. But Claire knew why she had avoided it for so long, she was scared of what would happen if Alice told her that she didn’t want to have kids.

Claire heard noises coming from the office and headed there. She rapped her fingers on the open door. “Hey,” Claire gave Alice a tired smile. “Are you busy?”

Alice shook her head. “No.”

“Can we talk?” Claire leaned against the doorframe.

“Sure.” Alice put her pen down and turned her chair fully toward her fiancée. “What’s up?”

“I’m sorry for not coming to you sooner,” Claire started. “But I needed some time to think.”

“I’m the one who’s sorry,” Alice said quickly. “I shouldn’t have…”

“No, please, let me talk and then you can say your piece.” Claire waited for Alice to nod then continued. “I didn’t mean to corner you with my questions. I… I’ve known for a long time that I wanted to adopt someday, with or without a partner. Even if my life isn’t what I thought it would be, I like it. I like what we have but I realize now that it’s something we should have discussed a lot sooner. Sherry was in my life when we met and you accepted that, you even decided to adopt her…”

“And I don’t regret it.” Alice interrupted gently before raising her hands, as if to apologize.

“And I’m grateful for that.” Claire took a step closer. “But I know it’s not what you pictured your life would be.”

“I thought I would be dead by now,” Alice replied then cringed. “Sorry, go on.”

“You’re alive, and we’re engaged, and we built a family together. It’s… I know not everyone wants kids, and I respect that. I don’t think it‘s something you should have just because society tells you to...” Claire took a deep breath. “But I need to know where you stand on the topic. I would never force you to adopt a child that you don’t want, I love you too much for that, but I can’t deny my needs either…”

“I understand.” Alice sighed, running a hand through her hair. “It’s not that I don’t want kids, it’s just… I don’t think I’ll make a good mom.”

“You’re great with Sherry.” Claire pointed out. She couldn’t understand how Alice could be so over-confident about everything except for her nurturing capabilities. Children didn’t need their parents to be perfect, no parent ever was, but they needed love and enough safety and guidance to find their place in the world. Alice, even if she wasn’t aware of it, gave all that and more to Sherry. That was why Claire knew Alice would be great with K-mart or any other child. 

“She was a teenager when you took her in and you did most of the work.” Alice objected before smirking. “I was just the cool and hot girlfriend.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, she loves you,” Claire emphasized. She knew Alice did more than her part with Sherry, she even surprised her reading a book on parenting teens when they first moved in together. She teased her a lot back then but it was a clear sign that Alice wanted to do her best.

They silently stared at each other for a moment until Alice broke the silence. “I’m sorry for being an ass. The conversation took me off guard and I reacted poorly.”

Claire studied her fiancée. She definitely looked remorseful. “Apology accepted.” She had always appreciated how they were able to apologize and find a compromise to move forward.

“I went to see K-mart yesterday,” Alice added after another pause.

“I know, she told me.” Claire smiled. She had been surprised at first when K-mart told her she had received a visit from her ‘friend’ but knowing Alice went out of her way to see the girl warmed her heart. “Nice bracelet.” She declared when she noticed the bracelet on her fiancée’s wrist. She had offered K-mart a friendship bracelet kit so she could keep herself busy and it was nice to see her gift had been put to good use.

Alice saw Claire had the same type of bracelet on her wrist. “Right back at you.” She patted her lap, hoping Claire would come and sit on it. She sighed happily when she did. “What do you want to do now?”

“You tell me.” Claire loosely wrapped her arms around Alice’s neck. It felt good to be close to her fiancée again, even if not everything was fixed between them. “I don’t want you to do it for me. You need to want it too.” Claire had talked to K-mart about the possibility of being her temporary guardian and the girl was more than excited. “It’s not a ‘satisfied or your money back’ deal. We’ll have to make some changes and if K-mart wants to stay…”

“It will become permanent.” Alice finished for her.

“If we want to, yes, and if they accept our case.” Claire knew she had her boss on her side and after some exchanges with the social worker, they should be able to be the girl’s foster family. Adopting would take some time and a lot of paperwork but it could work too if everyone wanted it.

“I know you, you’re a good person,” Alice stated. “You won’t abandon that girl.” She pulled Claire closer and held her tight. “Can I have a few days to think about it?”

“Of course.” Claire kissed Alice’s cheek. It was an important decision and she understood why Alice needed some time to think about it.

“Maybe we could visit her together and see how it goes?” Alice suggested.

Claire nodded with a smile. “We should definitely do that.” She could tell her fiancée was trying and she was thankful for that.

“See, not all my ideas are bad and dangerous.” Alice tilted her head with a teasing smile.

“Please,” Claire chuckled. “It’s a rarity.”

“Why don’t we order something and relax?” Alice offered.

“Sounds great.” Claire stood up.

“Two good ideas in a row, can you believe that?” Alice joked.

Claire chuckled and leaned forward to kiss her softly. “Don't let it go to your head.”

* * *

A month later, after meeting K-mart a few times and talking to Claire’s family about ‘babysitting duty’, the girl was officially under their care. K-mart needed to see a psychologist once a week to help her with her trauma but she didn’t seem to care much if it meant staying with Claire. The month that followed ended up being chaotic.

Claire and Alice were in their room, reading in bed after a calm evening. Claire was trying to focus on her book but her fiancée kept mumbling to herself. She glanced at her to see what was going on and noticed Alice was squinting her eyes to read. After a few more minutes of grumbling, Alice opened the bedside drawer and pulled out a pair of glasses. When she put them on, Claire did a double-take. “Since when do you have glasses?”

Alice shrugged. “A while…”

“Are you kidding me?” Claire shook her head incredulously. “We’ve been together for years and I’ve never seen you wear them!”

“That’s because I hate them,” Alice replied with a shrug. “But apparently I can’t read well tonight so…”

“Oh, looks like you’re getting older, babe.” Claire teased. She actually dug this look. Her square, black-rimmed glasses made her look nerdy yet sexy.

Alice rolled her eyes. “You say the sweetest things to me.”

“Oh, come on,” Claire chuckled. “I think you look sexy, like some kind of hot headmistress.”

Alice’s smile turned dirty. She threw her book on the bedside table and pulled Claire on top of her. “Tell me, Ms. Redfield, have you been doing your homework?”

Claire laughed. “I’m afraid not, Ms. Abernathy.” She leaned down to capture Alice’s lips. She pulled away to remove her fiancée’s glasses then kissed her more deeply. “Am I going to get punished?” She purred.

Alice opened her mouth to answer but a loud scream coming from K-mart’s room interrupted her. She sighed. “Another nightmare…”

Claire let out a sigh. “Shit.” She kissed Alice’s cheek before moving away. “I’m sorry.” Things were back to normal between them but they were still trying to find a new routine with K-mart. Except in school, the girl refused to be called by her name so they had stopped trying. They wanted her to feel comfortable. After two months with them, K-mart’s nightmares were less frequent but still there.

“No, it’s okay.” Alice smiled reassuringly.

“Wait for me?” Claire got out of bed and put on her robe. “She usually goes back to sleep once I calmed her down.”

“Take your time. I’ll just rub one while I wait.” Alice winked.

Claire groaned. “You’re terrible!” She knew Alice was trying to make her feel better and she appreciated it. “Just put your glasses on and read, grandma!” As she left the room, she heard Alice gasp at her comment. She made her way to K-mart’s room and found the girl sitting on the bed, staring into space with tears rolling down her cheeks. “Hey, sweetie, it’s alright, I’m here.” She sat down on the bed and hugged the girl tightly. “Another bad dream?” K-mart sniffled then nodded. “Want to talk about it?” She pulled away slightly to look at her.

There was a long pause then K-mart spoke. “I was with my cousin again. We were at the old K-mart and then her friend turned and… and… There was so much blood.” She sobbed.

“It’s okay, it’s over,” Claire reassured in a soothing voice. “You’re with us now, you’re safe.” She rubbed her hand gently up and down the girl's back as she rocked her in her arms.

K-mart wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. “Can you stay with me until I fall back asleep?” She asked while laying back down.

“Of course.” The look on K-mart’s face broke Claire’s heart. She looked so small and broken. The girl was doing better, she was more talkative and joyful but every time a nightmare happened, she would revert back to her closed-off self. Claire stayed with her until she went back to sleep then went back to her room.

Alice lifted her eyes from her book. “How did it go?”

“Same as always.” Claire gave her a sad smile. She removed her robe and slid under the cover.

“I can go next time if you want.” Alice offered. She put her glasses and book on the bedside table and turned the light off.

Despite her initial doubts, Alice had really stepped in to help. At first, Claire had been afraid that K-mart’s struggles would make her reconsider her decision but she should have known better. Alice’s support hadn’t wavered and Claire loved her even more for that. “No, it’s okay but thank you, though.” Claire moved closer to Alice so they could hug. She wasn’t in the mood for anything else anymore. Just when sleep started to settle in, she heard a soft knock on the door. She opened her eyes, blinking a few times as her eyes adjusted to the dark. “Come in.” She called sleepily. She saw Alice turn to the side to switch the light on.

The door opened and K-mart poked her head in. “I woke up again and…” She murmured. “Can I stay with you?”

Claire glanced at Alice to see if she minded but her fiancée just nodded. She patted the bed and smiled. “Come here, blondie.”

K-mart crawled on the bed and settled between them. “Thank you.”

“Guess it was a good idea to buy a queen-size bed,” Alice whispered, making the others laugh.

“It’s comfy.” K-mart yawned. “Goodnight.”

Claire pulled the cover closer. “Goodnight, K."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In one of the novelizations, Alice wondered if she could have a family, a partner, a child, if things ever slowed down, but then Umbrella ruined her hope when they crashed Arcadia. She realized she was fooling herself because she would never see the light at the end of the tunnel. So I used that to write her thoughts. She thinks she can’t have it all, that she doesn’t deserve it but deep down, she just wants love.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So I'm willing to speed up the updates, twice a month but I hate posting a new chapter without at least one or two reviews (more are welcomed though) because it makes me feel like what I wrote is terrible so it's up to you guys. As usual, let me know what you think. The next chapter will have more family time before things go downhill...

Claire and Alice got married in a small ceremony in their backyard, surrounded by friends and family. After exchanging their vows, they all sat at the big table set for the occasion.

Between two courses, Alice took a break on the side of the garden, listening from afar as Chris and Jill recounted a silly story about her wife. Claire was her wife; she couldn’t believe it. She glanced at Sherry and K-mart who were smiling and laughing together. It warmed her heart to see they had found their place among their extended family, especially K-mart. The girl was with them for six months now and she had been welcomed with open arms by everyone, so much that it didn’t look like she wanted to leave any time soon.

Their wedding wasn’t the fairytale all the magazines kept gushing about but she was happy. She had more than she had ever dared to dream but there was still a part of her that was scared to fully enjoy it. She was afraid that, if she let herself appreciate the feeling too much, it might all disappear.

Rain interrupted her musing. “So, you’re married…” She handed Alice a glass of champagne to toast with her.

Alice smirked. “I know, I was there.” She accepted the drink and clinked it with Rain’s.

“I know, I was your bridesmaid.” Rain chuckled.

“Don’t make me regret it.” Alice rolled her eyes. She had warned Rain about Claire’s family, telling her not to share any stories about their past with Umbrella. The woman had joked about the level of drama it would bring but Alice saw the painful understanding in her eyes.

“And apparently you’re a mama too.” Rain smirked, clearly entertained by all the discoveries she had made about Alice.

“Hardly.” Alice snorted. She had stopped hiding it but she wasn’t outright talking about the girls or showing pictures of them at every chance she got. Still, it was actually how she got closer to Angel Ortiz, Rain’s right hand in Beta team. One day, she was running late and was speaking to Sherry and K-mart with her phone on speaker. The girls were bickering about what food to order since Claire wasn’t there and Alice had no intention of cooking after the day she had, something the three of them agreed was a good choice. After telling the girls to make up their minds or they would all eat dry pasta, she heard someone laugh behind her. Angel was there, leaning against the door frame of her office. After she hung up, the man told her that he had two young daughters and understood her struggle. Alice was amicable with all her employees but never crossed the line to being friends with them. However, Angel had offered her some support when it came to parenthood and she didn’t feel like turning down his offer of friendship. It was why she had invited him to the wedding. Chad Kaplan was also part of the guests. The man was a bit gauche but Alice had a soft spot for him, some sisterly affection for his nerdy nonsense. Chad had done more for her and her company than he had to, even going as far as helping her with paperwork or running personal errands until she promised to look for an assistant so it felt right to invite him too. 

“Whatever you say… Now I understand why you left so early some afternoons, got to pick up the kids.” Rain gave her a sly smile. “Are you going to buy a mini-van next? You should have put that on the wedding gift list.”

“Watch your big mouth, I’m still the one writing your paychecks!” Alice playfully punched Rain’s shoulder. “And if it’s not enough, I can still break your jaw so you don’t ever talk again.”

“Please,” Rain scoffed. “I’m wearing white, I don’t want your blood to stain my sexy outfit.”

“My blood?” Alice laughed. She might pretend otherwise, but she was glad to have her friend by her side. Rain was a no-nonsense kind of woman and Alice always felt free to have harsher and cruder conversations with her without fear of being judged for her lack of manners. “Slow down with the booze, it’s making you delusional.”

“Abernathy!” Jill called from the table. “Don’t leave your wife alone!”

“I’m coming!” Alice yelled back, winking at Claire to let her know that she would join her soon.

“That woman, Jill? She’s your in-law, right?” Rain questioned, her eyes lingering on Jill.

“Sort of,” Alice frowned. Chris and Jill weren’t married and they barely ever talked about being together but since Claire considered Jill like a sister, it made sense to see her as an ‘in-law’. “Why?”

“She’s hot as fuck!” Rain exclaimed, a big smile on her face.

“Don’t even think about it,” Alice replied, amused by her friend’s statement.

“I’m just saying, you have a sweet wife, hot in-laws, cute kids… What did you give the devil to get all that? Don’t tell me your soul, it's not worth a red cent.”

Alice chuckled. “Satan is just an old friend of mine; he believes in me.”

They both laughed as they made their way back to the table. Alice kissed Claire’s cheek and sat down next to her.

“Are you alright?” Claire asked discreetly.

Alice smiled at her. Over the years, Claire had gotten better at reading her and she knew there was no point in lying. She had spent so many years on her own before Claire that she still wasn’t used to be surrounded by so many people, that was why she had excused herself to have a moment to breathe. “Yes, I just needed a minute.”

“Is it too much?” Claire questioned. “Because I can tell them to shut up for a bit.”

“It’s fine.” Alice heard a nice song starting in the background and took Claire’s hand. “Come on, let’s dance.” She stood up.

Claire frowned but followed Alice on the makeshift dancefloor. “It’s not the time for the first dance yet.”

“I don’t care, dance with me.” Alice pulled Claire closer and started swaying to the music. It might be their wedding day but she felt like she had barely talked to her wife since the ceremony.

“So, is today everything young Alice dreamed of?” Claire inquired, a teasing smile on her lips.

“Even better.” Alice smiled back. “What about you?”

“It’s not so bad.” Claire joked. “I’m kidding. It’s actually really nice … I just wish my parents could be here… And your mom.”

As a rule, Alice always tried not to think about her mother and what she would have thought of Claire. It was a Pandora’s Box that she wasn’t ready to open. She had talked about her with Claire and with Sherry especially, but she always found a way to change the subject. Deep down, she knew her mom would have loved Claire, telling her to be good and treat her well in that strong, motherly tone she always used. Despite the joy, Alice could see a hint of sadness in Claire’s eyes, so she tried to find the right words. The only blood relative was Chris but it didn’t mean they weren’t a big, slightly dysfunctional family. It took her years to accept that so she wasn’t about to let Claire forget it. “We might not have a big family but if you look closely, we have all the characters you need at your wedding. Chris and Jill as your siblings, taking pleasure in embarrassing you.” She looked at Leon who was nursing his drink with a slight frown on his face. “Leon is the dad, wondering why you chose such a poor spouse.” Claire laughed at her comment, pushing her to continue. She saw Rebecca touch Leon’s shoulder, asking him if he needed anything. “Becca is the mom, making sure everyone is alright.” At the end of the table, there were Betty, L.J, Luke, and his boyfriend Emmett chatting loudly. She pointed at them with her chin. “The aunts and uncles arguing about stupid things.” Her eyes fell on Rain and their two colleagues. “The cousins, still unsure why they were invited at all but they heard the food was good so they came anyway.” Then she looked at Sherry and K-mart with a smile. They were throwing grapes in Mikey’s mouth with Barry’s daughters. “The kids’ table obviously.” Claire’s laughter doubled in intensity and Alice felt proud of herself. “And last but not least, Barry, the grandpa with his war stories.”

Once Claire calmed down, she said. “You have such a vivid imagination.” There was fondness in her words.

Alice shrugged. “You have to when you spend hours waiting for your target to show up.”

Sherry suddenly appeared next to them. “I’d hate to be a party pooper but shouldn’t you at least cut the cake before dancing?”

Claire winked at Alice before pulling away and dragging Sherry between them. She resumed her dancing with the girl squeezed between them. “Who sent you, little spy?”

Sherry laughed. “I plead the fifth.”

Alice snorted. “As if that would stop Claire from torturing you with tickles.”

“No, don’t!” Sherry squirmed.

“I feel left out, what’s going on?” K-mart chose that moment to join them. “Is this a private event? Can I bribe you with something?”

“Oh no, sweetie, come and join the hug-fest.” Claire grabbed K-mart’s arm and gently pushed her closer to Sherry. Soon, the four of them were dancing and laughing together.

Barry saw the scene and smiled. “Look, it’s a Redfield sandwich!” He exclaimed proudly.

Chris rushed behind Claire and hugged them all with his big arms. “Now it is!”

* * *

For their honeymoon, Claire and Alice set off for a tour of South Europe. For a little more than two weeks, they visited Spain, France, then Italy, and to finish, Greece. It was Claire’s idea.

Even if Claire didn’t say it, Alice knew why her wife had chosen that destination. Before K-mart, Alice had mentioned her desire to travel several times but it never felt like the right time. It was also one of her arguments when they fought about adopting kids although now that K-mart was with them, Alice wouldn’t have it any other way, even if it meant less freedom.

Once in Europe, they divided their time mostly between beaches, historical monuments, food tasting, and last but definitely not least, amazing sex in their hotel room.

In Spain, they relaxed on the beaches of Barcelona and partook in the nightlife of the town. In France, they stopped at Nîmes to visit the Roman amphitheater and a few vineyards. Before catching their plane in Nice, they rented a cottage in the middle of the Verdon Natural Regional Park where they received the surprised visit of some curious groundhogs while having breakfast on the terrace. 

In Italy, they decided to rent bikes to enjoy the view of the coast. Alice was thrilled to come back to her mother’s home country. She showed Claire all her favorite places in Rome and she could tell her wife appreciated discovering this part of her life. Before they knew it, it was time to leave for Greece but Alice had already made plans in her head to come back to Rome with the girls for their next vacation.

Greece was quite an adventure. They had tried to hike on a hill to have the best view of Athens but once at the top, they realized they were on a private propriety. The owner yelled at them, shooing them away as they fled, giggling like schoolgirls. Alice had laughed so much that she thought her heart would burst with joy. It wasn’t a foreign feeling anymore, unlike it was years ago, but it still took her by surprise sometimes.

In the end, they came back home more exhausted than they were before they left but all the memories that they made were worth it. Despite knowing each other for years, it felt like they had grown closer. It was actually the first time that it had been just the two of them together, without kids, without work or family. It was nice even if it would be a lie to say they hadn’t missed the girls. 

* * *

K-mart had been with Claire and Alice for a year now and they had a meeting scheduled soon with the social worker to talk about the girl’s situation.

Claire had talked to K-mart and the girl made it clear that she wanted them to adopt her. Claire was happy about her decision, if she was honest, she couldn’t imagine their family without her in it anymore however, she still wanted to wait and make sure K-mart took the time to weigh all of her options.

Clare was cooking dinner one night while Alice was setting the table when K-mart entered the room in a rush.

“Mom, I need your help with the new level, I keep dying.” K-mart looked at Alice in frustration. “It’s so stupid.”

Alice dropped the glass she was holding at the word. She blinked a few times, looking at the broken glass on the floor then at K-mart. “I… What?”

“Oh wow,” K-mart chuckled. “You’re very clumsy for someone who works with guns.”

“I…” Alice composed herself. Surely, she had misheard. “And you’re a bit too much of a smartass for someone who spells professor with two F.”

K-mart laughed. “That’s fair.”

Claire could see Alice was shaken by what K-mart had called her so she decided to jump in. “Dinner is almost ready, so go wash your hands, you two can play after.” Alice had bonded with K-mart via video games and it was always funny to see them get worked up about a game.

“Okay.” K-mart nodded and rushed back upstairs.

“Did she…” Alice cleared her throat. “Did she call me mom?”

Claire smiled. There weren’t a lot of things that could render Alice speechless but clearly, K-mart had managed to surprise her usually quick-witted wife. “When I dropped her at school this morning, she called me mama. I almost crashed the car.” It had also taken Claire by surprise. Even if they wanted to adopt K-mart, they would never ask the girl to call them anything but their name so it was a whole new territory. She was almost 27 and she was ready to take that next step if Alice and K-mart were too.

Alice laughed before turning serious. “Should we talk to her about it?”

“She called me by my name earlier so I think she’s just trying it out,” Claire answered. She didn’t want K-mart to feel self-conscious or feel like she was doing something wrong. She knew the girl used to call her mother ‘ma’ since her parents were Italian – a heritage she could share with Alice – so she guessed she was trying other names for them. They would have to talk about it with K-mart at some point but she wanted the girl to find her footing first. “Is that a problem? Because you looked a little a pale for a minute.”

“I did not look pale.” Alice frowned, slightly affronted. “It’s just the light.” She left the room and came back with a broom and dustpan to clean the broken glass.

Claire chuckled. “You broke a glass.”

“It just slipped out of my hand, that’s all.” Alice kneeled down to sweep the glass in the dustpan but cut herself on a sharp piece. “Shit.”

The teasing remark Claire had died on her lips. Clearly, K-mart’s words had a bigger impact on her wife than she had realized. Maybe the one she should talk to wasn’t K-mart after all. “Alice, are you alright?”

“It’s nothing,” Alice answered dismissively before sticking her finger in her mouth to suck the blood. 

Alice was shutting her down, something that hadn’t happened in years so she must be freaking out inside if she reverted back to old habits. Clare had her own little moment of panic in the morning but unlike Alice, she had the day to process everything. “Alice.” Claire turned off the stove and moved to stand in front of her wife. “I wasn’t talking about the cut.” She gently took Alice’s hand away from her mouth and inspected the wound. It was just a little cut.

Alice sighed. “I…” They heard K-mart coming down the stairs and stopped talking.

Claire kissed her wife’s cheek and murmured. “We’ll talk about this after dinner.”

As soon as K-mart joined them in the room, Alice’s demeanor changed. She smiled at the girl, asking her about her game as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

* * *

Once Claire and Alice were in their room, Claire watched as Alice kept herself busy, rearranging her clothes in the closet instead of joining her in bed. Alice could be a bit restless sometimes so Claire let her do her thing. “So…” She started, reminding Alice that she still intended to have their talk about the ‘mom thing’.

Alice let out a long-suffering sigh. “Do we have to have this conversation right now?”

Instead of pointing out the obvious or calling out her wife on her old closed-off behavior making a comeback, Claire said. “It’s normal to freak out.”

“I’m not.” Alice denied as she grabbed a clean shirt, unfolding then refolding it again before putting it on top of another pile.

“Sure…” Claire laughed despite herself at the bald-faced lie. “Well, when you’re ready to remove your head out of your cute butt, I’m here.” She grabbed her book on the nightstand and started reading. She knew Alice would talk once she was ready so she kept herself busy in the meantime.

Alice kept fussing over her clothes for a while until she sighed again. “I just thought it would be like Sherry.” She took a few steps to stand at the end of the bed. “We’d be K-mart’s parental figures but without the big titles.”

“Everyone is different. K-mart isn’t Sherry and their past couldn’t be more different.” They were both aware of that but Claire thought it wouldn’t hurt to remind Alice. “It’s understandable that they would handle adoption differently.”

“I know but…” Alice paused then sighed again. “K-mart had loving parents. It’s hard to live up to that…”

“And we’re not trying to replace them. Sherry missed her parents too, as shitty as they were, and we never tried to take that away from her. I think K just wants to start over and leave the past behind, something Sherry didn’t have the luxury to do after her own father infected her.” Claire could still taste the anger and resentment at what happened all these years ago. “I’m not saying what K-mart is doing is healthy, that’s why we need to talk to her about it but before that, we need to know where we stand on the matter. Does it make you uncomfortable?”

“It just makes things so… real and official,” Alice admitted. “I knew Sherry before I met you and when we adopted her, she was 18 and in college. Here it happened so fast and I’m not sure if I’m ready for it or even if I will ever be. She deserves a better mother; she deserves someone like you.”

Claire had trouble understanding how Alice could behave like a mother with the girls but not fully consider herself a parent. Being called ‘mom’ shouldn’t change anything, in fact, it should make her wife happy and proud like she was. “She’s been with us for a year, I wouldn’t call it fast. Whatever journey K-mart is on, the changes won’t come overnight. And…” She paused. She knew Alice had been hesitant at first to let K-mart move in with them but her wife had quickly embraced the situation after that. “Sherry might have been there from the beginning but we chose to welcome K into our family. It’s…”

“I didn’t say I changed my mind.” Alice cut her off with a frown. “I want her to stay with us.”

“I know.” Claire softened. “But clearly you didn’t expect that part.”

“I’m not opposed to it,” Alice stated, once again letting Claire know that they were in this together, whatever happened. “It’s just… a lot.”

“I know. As I said, we can talk to K-mart and maybe…” Claire hesitated, knowing Alice would never agree to it.” Maybe we can join a support group for adopting parents and share our experience.”

Alice snorted. “I’d rather impale myself on a stick or face a full horde of zombies with my bare hands.”

Claire chuckled. “I think you’re being a little over-dramatic, babe.”

“Claire…” Alice let out a frustrated noise, halfway between a whimper and a growl.

“I’m not mocking you,” Claire assured her. “I’m just saying that sharing your feelings with people who experienced the same struggle as you isn’t the seven gates of Hell.”

“I would take the seven gates of Hell any day,” Alice smirked.

Claire shook her head with a fond smile. She could tell she wouldn’t get more from Alice after that. “Why don’t you sleep on it?” She patted the bed. “They say sleep is the best meditation.”

“Thank you for your wisdom, Dalai Lama.” Alice rolled her eyes but joined her wife in bed.

As Claire was falling asleep, she felt Alice pull her closer. “Just be patient with me…” Her wife murmured. Claire didn’t answer, she just squeezed Alice’s hand to let her know that she understood.

The next day, Claire and Alice sat down with K-mart to talk about the adoption. When they approached the mom topic, K-mart felt bad for dumping it on them. Claire reassured her that it wasn’t a problem and reminded her that she didn’t have to call them anything she wasn’t comfortable with. It turned out Claire was right in her assumptions, K-mart wasn’t really sure what to call them right now but she wanted to try it out. They talked about the girl’s parents a lot and also where everyone fitted in their family. Alice seemed a bit more serene after the conversation, as if she was relieved to hear that she would have more time to get used to everything. It was a journey for all of them and they would be there for each other no matter what.

* * *

Months passed and a new routine formed. K-mart was now officially part of their family and everyone had celebrated the news with joy. Things had slowed down at work for Claire and Alice so they tried to enjoy it as much as they could because they knew it wouldn’t last. Sherry was visiting almost every weekend to spend time with them and Claire was more than happy about that. She wanted the girl to enjoy her time in college but Sherry had insisted that she could spend all week with her friends and needed the comfort of home on the weekend.

The four of them were enjoying the swimming pool when Sherry and K-mart decided to make some granitas in their blender. With the windows open, Claire and Alice could hear them talk animatedly. Claire listened carefully to try and understand what was being said. Apparently, K-mart wanted to switch room with Sherry so she could have the en-suite bathroom but Sherry was not having it.

The girls were now standing on the back porch, still arguing. Claire couldn’t see them from her spot in the pool but she could imagine their faces. She chuckled to herself. She looked at her wife who was lounging on a sunbed next to the pool. Alice had a smile on her face and she was clearly amused by the situation too. Claire swam to the side so she could rest her arms on the edge of the pool. Alice lowered her sunglasses and winked at her but didn’t say a word as they kept listening.

“It’s my room, Dahlia!” Sherry stated, using the other girl’s name to rile her up.

“Don’t call me that!” K-mart frowned and crossed her arms.

“What are you going to do, D.J?” Sherry smiled innocently.

K-mart groaned. “I’m going to tell mom!”

“Which one?” Sherry raised a questioning eyebrow.

Claire laughed at K-mart’s retort. Sherry considered K-mart like her sister and always said it proudly. When K-mart was calling them ‘our parents’ or ‘our moms’, Sherry would always go along without blinking an eye, even though she had never called them that. Despite some silly fights, the girls were close and Claire was so glad for that. Her family was complete. Sometimes, she still couldn’t believe that she was married with two kids. The funny part was that she hadn’t looked for it. After all the mess, things just worked out on their own and here she was, older, accomplished both professionally and personally, and just happy. It wasn’t always easy to manage work and family but she wouldn’t change a thing for all the gold in the world.

“Mom!” K-mart called.

“Oh my gosh, seriously?” Sherry laughed.

Alice sighed. “Remember when K-mart was barely talking?”

Claire chuckled. “No.” Even though Alice pretended to be annoyed, Claire was pretty sure her heart still skipped a beat every time K-mart called her mom. If Claire was honest, so was hers. Alice had struggled with the changes for a while, they all did, but in the end, they all found their mark and it was what mattered.

“Me neither.” Alice snorted. “I didn’t know Sherry could play dirty.”

“I think it’s just the older sibling’s disease,” Claire replied. “Chris loves to be a little shit just because he can.”

“As if you’re Miss innocent.” Alice chuckled but it quickly turned into a laugh when Claire splashed her with water.

“Mom?” K-mart called again as she joined them, glasses in hands. Sherry was standing next to her, sipping her granita.

“What?” Claire and Alice answered simultaneously.

“Sherry doesn’t want to switch room,” K-mart said petulantly.

“Because it’s my room, I was here first.” Sherry insisted.

“You’re only here on weekends.” K-mart pointed out before looking at Claire and Alice expectantly.

It was Alice who answered first. “I told you to ask her, what do you want me to do?”

K-mart shook her head and looked at Claire. “Mama, come on.”

Claire was usually the one to defuse the situation but there wasn’t much she could do here. “Sherry is right, it’s been her room for years and since she’s older, she might want her privacy.”

“She can still walk to the other bathroom and lock the door.” K-mart rolled her eyes.

“So can you.” Alice pointed out.

“Not helping, Alice.” Claire splashed her again.

“See, I’m right.” Sherry smiled smugly.

“Don’t be so smug, missy, that’s unbecoming,” Alice told her.

Sherry giggled, finally dropping the act. “You know, that would be more impactful coming from Claire.” She gently pushed Alice’s legs away so she could sit at the end of the sunbed.

“Touché.” Alice chuckled, grabbing the full granita Sherry had in her hand. Sherry leaned her head to the side and Alice kissed her temple as thank you.

Claire was staring at Alice, her wife was really not helping. Sherry was rarely mean or smug so it was clearly just to tease her sister. The proud look on the girl’s face reminded her of Alice so she blamed her on that one.

“So, about the bedroom?” K-mart asked again, trying to refocus the conversation on her problem.

“How about we let Sherry finish her semester and when she’ll start another year, you can ask again?” Claire offered, trying to find a compromise so they could all enjoy the rest of the afternoon. Everyone seemed to agree so they quickly moved on to another topic.

In the end, a week later, Sherry let K-mart have her bedroom. Despite not having a bathroom, the room was bigger and Sherry had more space for her books and binders. To thank her, K-mart used her allowance to buy Sherry a thank you gift and they both gushed about it all evening until they fell asleep together on Sherry’s bed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know what I did with K-mart can be surprising but it felt right. I wanted things to be different than with Sherry. K-mart’s younger and Claire took her in right away. I read some forums about adoption and apparently, it really depends on the kid and how they feel about calling their adoptive parents “mom”. Since in the movie, Claire is very maternal with her, I went with it.


End file.
